Cognitive-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) for People Living With HIV (PLHIV)

The proposed study will investigate the efficacy of cognitive-based compassion training (CBCT), a contemplative technique based on the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of compassion meditation, for enhancing immune restoration and psychological resilience in people living with HIV-1 (PLHIV). Psychosocial stress has been associated with increased circulating concentrations of key inflammatory biomarkers. The patients with HIV must cope with the physical impact of HIV disease itself, the often complex treatment regimens and side effects of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), illness-associated psychological and existential dilemmas, changes in social roles and lifestyle patterns relative to illness progression, social stigma, and financial and material resource concerns. This study aims to determine if engagement with CBCT is associated with reduced circulating concentrations of stress-related inflammatory biomarkers, improves HIV-related clinical outcomes and decreases stress in PLHIV.