A Psychosocial Tele-health Stigma Intervention for Youth Living With HIV in Vietnam

The overall goals of the study are to deepen understanding of the spectrum of stigma experienced by YLHIV in Vietnam, to develop a multi-level stigma intervention for YLHIV delivered by telephone, and to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention on intra- and inter-personal stigma, psychological wellbeing, and treatment adherence. The project has the following Specific Aims: 1. Adapt a psychosocial stigma-reduction intervention for YLHIV in Vietnam based on cognitive-behavioral therapy principles and delivered by telephone, using input from youth during intervention development. 2. Assess the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of this innovative approach to reduce stigma, and improve psychosocial wellbeing and ART adherence among YLHIV through a small pre-post study. 3. Explore the multiple facets of stigma experienced by YLHIV in Vietnam and their relationships with ART adherence and psychosocial wellbeing via quantitative surveys and electronic adherence monitoring. The study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of this approach among YLVIV in Vietnam, and generate preliminary evidence for the potential effect of the intervention on important endpoints including stigma, psychosocial wellbeing, adherence, CD4 count, and viral load (VL).