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Abstract Details
Sustained Sobriety: A Qualitative Study of Persons with HIV and Chronic Hepatitis C Coinfection and a History of Problematic Drinking
AIDS Behav. 2020 Oct 16. doi: 10.1007/s10461-020-03067-x. Online ahead of print.
Abigail Howell1, Audrey Lambert23, Megan M Pinkston4, Claire E Blevins4, Jumi Hayaki5, Debra S Herman4, Ethan Moitra4, Michael D Stein3, H Nina Kim6
Author information
1Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue Box 359930, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
2Section of General Internal Medicine, CARE Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
3Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
4Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
5Department of Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA.
6Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue Box 359930, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA. hyangkim@uw.edu.
Abstract
For persons diagnosed with HIV and who are coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death and excessive consumption of alcohol can be a contributing factor. Little is known about the factors these individuals identify as key to achieving sustained sobriety. In this qualitative study, fourteen HIV/HCV coinfected persons who endorsed past problematic drinking were interviewed about their path to sustained sobriety. In open-ended interviews, participants often described their drinking in the context of polysubstance use and their decision to become sober as a singular response to a transcendent moment or a traumatic event. All articulated specific, concrete strategies for maintaining sobriety. The perceived effect of the HIV or HCV diagnosis on sobriety was inconsistent, and medical care as an influence on sobriety was rarely mentioned. Qualitative interviews may offer new insights on interventions and support strategies for heavy-drinking persons with HIV/HCV coinfection.