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. 2019 Feb;23(2):489-498.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-018-2239-6.

Mind Matters: Treatment Concerns Predict the Emergence of Antiretroviral Therapy Side Effects in People with HIV

Rob Horne  1 , Sarah Chapman  2 , Elizabeth Glendinning  2 , Heather Leake Date  3 , Jordi Guitart  4 , Vanessa Cooper  2
Affiliations

Mind Matters: Treatment Concerns Predict the Emergence of Antiretroviral Therapy Side Effects in People with HIV

Rob Horne et al. AIDS Behav. 2019 Feb.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

The aim of this analysis of historical data was to determine whether patients' pre-treatment beliefs about antiretroviral therapy (ART) predict the subsequent reporting of side effects. Data were collected as part of a prospective, 12-month follow-up study. Of 120 people starting ART, 76 completed follow-up assessments and were included in the analyses. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing their beliefs about ART, beliefs about medicines in general, perceived sensitivity to adverse effects of medicines, depression and anxiety before initiating ART and after 1 and 6 months of treatment. Adherence was assessed at 1, 6 and 12 months. Pre-treatment concerns about ART were associated with significantly more side effects at 1 month (p < 0.05) and 6 months (p < 0.005). Side effects at 6 months predicted low adherence at 12 months (p < 0.005). These findings have implications for the development of interventions to support patients initiating ART by providing a mechanism to pre-empt and reduce side effects.

El objetivo de este análisis de datos históricos fue determinar si las creencias de los pacientes sobre el tratamiento antirretroviral (TAR) predecían la declaración posterior de efectos secundarios. Los datos fueron recogidos como parte de un estudio prospectivo de 12 meses. De las 120 personas que comenzaron el TAR, 76 completaron las evaluaciones de seguimiento y se incluyeron en los análisis. Los participantes respondieron a cuestionarios validados que evalúan sus creencias sobre el TAR, creencias sobre los medicamentos en general, la sensibilidad percibida ante los efectos adversos de los medicamentos, la depresión y la ansiedad antes de iniciar el TAR y transcurridos 1 y 6 meses de tratamiento. La adherencia al TAR se evaluó a 1, 6 y 12 meses. Las preocupaciones previas al inicio del tratamiento acerca del TAR se asociaron con un número significativamente mayor de efectos secundarios al cabo de 1 mes (p < 0.05) y 6 meses (p < 0.005). Los efectos secundarios a los 6 meses predijeron baja adherencia a los 12 meses (p < 0.005). Los resultados de este análisis tienen implicaciones en el desarrollo de intervenciones para apoyar a los pacientes que comienzan el TAR, proporcionando un mecanismo para adelantarse y reducir los efectos secundarios.

Keywords: Adverse effects; Antiretroviral therapy; Beliefs; HIV.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

Professor Horne has undertaken speaker engagements with honoraria with the following companies: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, Shire Pharmaceuticals, MSD, Astellas, Astrazeneca, DRSU, Erasmus and Novartis and TEVA. Professor Rob Horne is founder and shareholder of a UCL-business spin out company (Spoonful of Sugar) providing consultancy on medication-related behaviours to healthcare policy makers, providers and industry.

Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the National Research Ethics Committee and was performed in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean number of moderate, severe or very severe side effects reported at 1 month and 6 months by patients with high concerns and those with low concerns at baseline
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean number of moderate, severe or very severe side effects reported at 6 months by patients endorsing each of the BMQ ART-Concerns items at baseline
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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