Background This article explores the association of people who inject drugs and their family members in terms of mental health and family relations. The objective was to understand the family context and its impact on people who inject drugs in a family-oriented culture in Vietnam. Methods Cross-sectional assessment data were gathered from 83 people who inject drugs and 83 of their family members recruited from four communes in Phú Thọ province, Vietnam. Depressive symptoms and family relations were measured for both people who inject drugs and family members. Internalized shame and drug-using behavior were reported by people who inject drugs, and caregiver burden was reported by family members. Results We found that higher level of drug using behavior of people who inject drugs was significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower family relations reported by themselves as well as their family members. Family relations reported by people who inject drugs and their family members were positively correlated. Conclusion The findings highlight the need for interventions that address psychological distress and the related challenges faced by family members of people who inject drugs. The article has policy implication which concludes with an argument for developing strategies that enhance the role of families in supporting behavioral change of people who inject drugs.

Stressful life events and daily hassles affect people living with HIV (PLWH). However, capturing stress-related events and cognitive impairment is often plagued with recall biases. Incorporating reliable information technology, such as mobile phones, can be a resourceful method for measuring health behaviors (MHB). We report findings from an MHB pilot study with 32 African American, Latino/Hispanic, and White PLWH from Los Angeles. Participants reported perceived stressors in their daily routines using a smartphone Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) application. Participants self-initiated in-the-moment stressful events reports for up to 6 weeks. Stressful event EMAs queried perceived stress levels (1–10 scale) and open-ended text descriptions. Qualitative analysis of participant text responses was completed using grounded thematic coding. Participants reported multiple stressors in their daily routines, impacting activities of daily living or daily functioning. Eliciting input from PLWH via EMA in real-time is a novel approach for assessing and identifying sources of stress.

HIV-related stigma affects people living with HIV (PLWH), especially in communities of color. In our study, African American and Latina/Hispanic women living with HIV (WLWH) described experiences of stigma through PhotoVoice, a community-based participatory method of documentary photography. Ten WLWH from Los Angeles documented stigma experiences through photographs for up to 5 weeks and discussed their images during a focus group or semi-structured individual interview. Qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis of participant narratives and photographs revealed lack of education and cultural myths as the main triggers of the stigma our participants faced. Stigma was experienced in health care settings, and participants identified depression, fear of intimate relationships, and nondisclosure of HIV status as its consequences. Social support and faith were noted as key coping mechanisms. WLWH recommended involving PLWH and public health officials in stigma reduction campaigns and youth education. PhotoVoice was perceived as a useful tool for education and self-improvement.

Family plays an important role in the lives of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Vietnam. This study examined the preliminary outcomes of an intervention targeting IDUs and their family members in Vietnam. Eighty-three families, including 83 IDUs and 83 family members, were recruited from 4 communes in Phú Tho Province, Vietnam. The 4 communes were randomized to either an intervention condition or a standard care condition. The IDUs and their family members in the intervention condition completed 4 group sessions, with the aims to improve their mental health and family relations and to promote positive behavioral change. The intervention effect was evaluated at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments. A significant reduction in depressive symptoms and improvement in family functioning were reported for IDUs in the intervention group compared with those in the standard care group. The family members in the intervention group reported better coping skills at 3 months, fewer depressive symptoms at 6 months, and improved family function at both 3 and 6 months compared with those in the standard care group. However, no significant intervention effect was observed for IDUs in terms of drug-using behavior. This study demonstrates the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of an intervention that simultaneously targets IDUs and their family members in Vietnam. Study findings highlight the importance of including family members and enhancing their role in drug use intervention efforts.

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare providers (HCPs) from five HIV medical care coordination teams in a large Los Angeles County HIV clinic, including physicians, nurses, and psychosocial services providers. HCPs reported on the potential utility, acceptability, and barriers for patient self-monitoring and notifications via mobile phones, and web-based dashboards for HCPs. Potential benefits included: 1) enhancing patient engagement, motivation, adherence, and self-management; and 2) improving provider-patient relationships and HCP care coordination. Newly diagnosed and patients with co-morbidities were highest priorities for mobile application support. Facilitators included universal mobile phone ownership and use of smartphones or text messaging. Patient-level barriers included concerns about low motivation and financial instability for consistent use by some patients. Organizational barriers, cited primarily by physicians, included concerns about privacy protections, easy dashboard access, non-integrated electronic records, and competing burdens in limited appointment times. Psychosocial services providers were most supportive of the proposed mobile tools.

Although the impact of HIV falls on both partners of a married couple, the burden of stress may not be necessarily shared evenly. This study examined the relations among HIV status, gender and depressive symptoms among 152 married or cohabitating couples living with HIV in the Northern and Northeastern regions of Thailand. Depressive symptoms were assessed using a 15-item depressive symptom screening test that was developed and used previously in Thailand. Among the 152 couples, 59% were couples in which both members were people living with HIV (PLH) (seroconcordant; both PLH couples), 28% had only female members with HIV (serodiscordant; female PLH couples), and 13% had only male members with HIV (serodiscordant; male PLH couples). The prevalence of depressive symptoms between seroconcordant and serodiscordant groups was similar. However, female PLH reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, regardless of their partners’ HIV status. Future prevention programs focusing on serodiscordant couples should be planned to target HIV risk, as well as emphasis on mental health, with a particular focus on women’s increased susceptibility to negative mental health outcomes.