HIV Medication Adherence in Underserved Populations

Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has proven extremely effective in the treatment of HIV and AIDS, the ability to effectively combat the disease is inconsequential when individuals do not take their medication as prescribed and do not attend their scheduled medical appointments. Non-adherence to effective ART and medical visits is widespread in the United States, especially among ethnic minorities. A recent study indicated that patients who miss a medical appointment in the first year of an HIV diagnosis show over twice the mortality rate of patients who attended all visits. This study is developed to investigate the relationship between HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) and adherence to HIV treatment among traditionally marginalized populations. Participants will be administered a brief neuropsychiatric screener. Participants will be randomly enrolled one of two cognitive rehabilitation programs so they may learn compensatory cognitive strategies to remain treatment adherent, or they will be receive psychoeducation concerning the importance of taking their medications and regularly attending medical appointments. Participants will be tracked and followed-up with regarding their treatment adherence in regular intervals over the course of 6 months.