The use of the brief symptom inventory among youth living with HIV: a scoping review.

The brief symptom inventory (BSI), a 53-item measure that assesses psychological distress, is a popular tool for measuring mental health symptoms among youth living with HIV (YLH) in the United States (US); however, it has been used inconsistently with this population. This scoping review summarizes discrepancies in the use of the BSI to identify opportunities to improve systematism and make recommendations for clinicians and researchers, and highlights correlates of psychological distress among YLH as measured by the BSI. Databases searched included PsycINFO, PubMed, and CENTRAL. Eligible studies that assessed psychological distress using the BSI among YLH, were conducted in the US, and were written in English. Of the 237 articles identified, 57 were selected for inclusion. Studies investigated associations between BSI scores and several variables, including pre- versus post-highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, ART adherence, sexual risk behavior, substance use, stigma, social support, self-efficacy, mode of HIV infection, and sexual orientation. There was variation in BSI elements used as outcome measures, sample age ranges, and reporting of mean scores and cutoff t-scores. 89.5% (n = 51) of studies did not report which BSI norms were used in their data analysis, and 68.4% of studies (n = 39) did not report the cut-off t-score value used. Variability in study objectives restricted this study to a scoping review rather than a meta-analysis. Generalizability to non-US settings is another limitation. More consistency in how the BSI is used among YLH is needed to accurately identify distress among YLH and provide tailored interventions to address their unique challenges.

A systematic review of early adoption of implementation science for HIV prevention or treatment in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To provide the first systematic review of the early adoption of implementation science for HIV prevention or treatment in the United States. We identified primary research studies that addressed implementation of HIV prevention or treatment in the United States and qualitatively assessed the reporting of implementation outcomes and intervention descriptions. METHODS: We searched PubMed, PsycInfo, and CINAHL databases for evaluations of HIV prevention or treatment interventions that at least reported one implementation outcome and were published between 2014 and 2018. We used the 12-item Template for Intervention Description and Replication to assess study interventions. RESULTS: A total of 2275 articles were identified. Thirty-nine studies met inclusion criteria. Of these, 84.6% used quantitative methods with 5% being hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies and 15% used qualitative methods. No studies cited a formal theoretical framework for implementation science. Acceptability and feasibility were the most frequently reported implementation outcomes. Eligible studies were diverse with regard to demographic categories. Most interventions focused on HIV prevention, particularly risk-reduction strategies. HIV treatment interventions targeted linkage to care and adherence to medications. Key implementation outcome findings indicated that these interventions are feasible and acceptable in the real world. CONCLUSION: HIV implementation science could support dissemination of HIV prevention or treatment in the United States, although HIV treatment interventions are limited. Theoretical frameworks and key implementation outcomes like fidelity, penetration, and appropriateness could promote the rigor of future HIV treatment implementation research, helping the field deliver the promise of HIV prevention or treatment efforts in the United States.