KSS Living Well with HIV

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  KSS Living Well with HIV: Co-producing pathways for integrating HIV and mental health services in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex

• IRAS ID

  302528

• Contact name

  Marija Pantelic

• Contact email

  m.pantelic@bsms.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Sussex

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  092 PAN/302528, Sponsor reference

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Medical treatment has transformed HIV from a life sentence to a manageable, chronic condition. The UK is now home to a growing, ageing population of people living with HIV (PLWH). However, PLWH continue to experience HIV-related stigma and discrimination; widespread psychological distress; and fragmented services that are difficult to navigate. This study aims to improve the quality of life of PLWH by making existing mental health services easier to access and avoiding additional strain on an already overstretched health system.

  We will work across Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) and involve diverse PLWH across sexuality, gender, and ethnicity. Based on consultation with a specially formed ‘KSS Coalition for Living Well with HIV’ (consisting of PLWH, their immediate support networks, healthcare providers and commissioners of health services), we will administer a co-designed survey to help us better understand gaps in access to mental health services for PLWH in the region. The knowledge gained from this will then be used by the coalition to co-design pathways that will help PLWH to access existing mental health services.

  This study has four objectives:
  To understand the gaps in access to mental health services for PLWH
  To understand the personal and wider systemic barriers and facilitators to mental health service user uptake
  To use this information to co-design pathways that will help PLWH to access existing mental health services
  To validate the acceptability of these co-designed pathways through semi-structured qualitative feedback from service users

  It is anticipated that identifying gaps and improving linkages between mental health and HIV services will contribute to improvements in quality of life among PLWH and service delivery in KSS.
  

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/YH/0238

• Date of REC Opinion

  9 Nov 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion