Adult Attachment, Loneliness, Covid-19 Risk Perception and Perceived Stress During Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread throughout the world, affecting the psychological well-being of individuals. Drawing on the attachment theory perspective, the present work sought to understand individual differences in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, analyzing the emotional and cognitive factors involved. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the complex relationship between attachment anxiety and avoidance, loneliness, Covid-19 risk perception, and perceived stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven hundred sixty-one participants were involved. Data were analyzed using path analysis. Consistent with attachment theory, results showed a direct relationship between attachment anxiety and perceived stress during the Covid 19 pandemic, mediated in part by loneliness and Covid 19 risk perception. Similarly, attachment avoidance was directly related to perceived stress during the Covid-19 pandemic;this relationship was partially mediated by loneliness but not by Covid-19 risk perception. Our results demonstrate the influence of adult attachment on perceived stress during the Covid-19 pandemic through its effect on emotional and cognitive variables, providing useful information for implementing interventions to promote individual well-being during these times of health emergency © 2022. by the Author(s);licensee Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Messina, Italy. This article is an open access article, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License

Troubling Silences: Reflecting on Findings from an Integrative Review on Access to PrEP

BackgroundIn 2012, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was approved as an HIV-prevention intervention. PrEP is a highly effective strategy for reducing the risk of HIV acquisition, particularly in populations at high risk of contracting the virus. In an integrative review of the literature, we explored barriers and facilitators to accessing PrEP and outlined potential interventions to mitigate access. In the integrative review, 48 studies were included. We also extracted data that provided information on potential interventions and recommendations that stakeholders and decision-makers can utilize to advance practice guidelines and health policies that will improve PrEP access among high-risk populations. In this paper, we reflect on the review findings and contemplate the silences that became visible when looking across all studies.MethodsWe engaged in the process of reflexivity as we looked across the included studies. Throughout this process, we made notes, engaged in conversations, and consulted with others who work in the field. Results/ConclusionWe noted three significant areas of silence. One was a lack of intersectional analysis, which considers multiple minority-stress factors acting simultaneously. With little understanding of the complexities impacting understudied populations’ intersectionalities, stakeholders and decision-makers lack not only formative contextual research, but also any effective implementable measure to increase PrEP uptake. The studies analyzed showed a lack of community-participatory research practice. At large, the studies found did not explore, nor perceive, communities at HIV risk as agents of their own health. Neither did they represent these communities as capable stakeholders and decision-makers in matters regarding sexual behavior and harm reduction. Peer-support involvement in public health measures to improve PrEP access has been scarce. Despite social connections and relationships representing efficient methods for PrEP awareness, education, and stigma reduction, peer involvement remains mostly unexplored in the literature in relation to PrEP access.

O17.2 Exploring Freddie: Lessons from a Novel Virtual HIV PrEP Care Model in Canada

Background/PurposeTo combat the HIV Epidemic, the concept of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has gained considerable traction since demonstrating efficacy in 2012 and approval in Canada in 2016. Unfortunately, this HIV prevention method has not been ubiquitously taken up by those most at risk for many reasons, including difficulty in accessing care. Innovation, and necessity during the COVID pandemic, has increased the use of technology with new care models providing 100% of PrEP care virtually.ApproachThis presentation will focus on the impacts and early findings of Freddie, a novel and entirely virtual PrEP care model in Canada focused on gender and sexual minority communities. This online health program connects those most at risk of HIV transmission with affirming prescribers across multiple provinces to break down physical and social barriers to PrEP initiation and ongoing use.Outcomes/ImpactFreddie has reached the benchmark of 1,000 patients in Canada, the majority of which have never been on PrEP before, representing a quick uptake in virtual PrEP services in Canada. The observations made thus far affirm theories that inclusive virtual care models can lead to increased access to STBBI prevention methods.Innovation and SignificancePresenters will discuss the innovative components of Freddie’s virtual care model, explore findings as they relate to PrEP uptake and initiation by speaking to its initial successes and challenges, as well as how it addresses PrEP access barriers in Canada. This includes Freddie’s focus on LGBTQ2S+ Canadians who are known to be at higher risk of HIV and historically have faced extraordinary barriers accessing sexual health care in inclusive settings. The intervention explored in this presentation continues to address such barriers through an innovative and accessible care model.