Abstract
There is a lack of mental health promotion and treatment services targeting HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIVMSM) in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mental health promotion efficacy of an online intervention that combined Three Good Things (TGT) with electronic social networking (TGT-SN) and an intervention that used TGT only (TGT-only), compared with a control group. We conducted a randomised controlled trial among HIVMSM in Chengdu, China. The participants were randomly assigned to the TGT-SN, TGT-only, and control groups. The participants in the TGT-SN group were divided into five social network groups and asked to post brief messages to the group about three good things that they had experienced and for which they felt grateful. The participants in the TGT-only group were only required to write down their three good things daily without sharing them with others. The control group received information about mental health promotion once a week for a month. The primary outcome was probable depression. Secondary outcomes were anxiety, positive and negative affect, gratitude, happiness and social support. These outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention. Repeated-measures analyses were conducted using generalised estimation equations. The study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003252). Between June 2013 and May 2015, 404 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the TGT-SN (n = 129), TGT-only (n = 139) or control group (n = 136). The main effects of TGT-SN (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.75, 95% CI 0.52-1.09; p = 0.131) and TGT-only (aOR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.57-1.21; p = 0.332) in reducing depression were statistically non-significant. The participants of the TGT-SN group showed significantly lower anxiety symptoms (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.89; p = 0.009) and negative affect (β = -1.62, 95% CI 2.98 to -0.26; p = 0.019) over time compared with those of the control group. No significant main effect was found for any secondary outcomes for the TGT-only group. The novel intervention combining the TGT exercise with electronic social networking was found effective in reducing anxiety and negative affect among HIVMSM.
Highlights
In China, the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) is worsening in all regions (Zhang et al, 2013)
The generalised estimation equations (GEEs) analysis showed that the main effects of Three Good Things (TGT)-SN (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.52–1.09, p = 0.131; Table 4) and TGTonly (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.57–1.21, p = 0.332; Table 4) in reducing depression were not statistically significant when controlling for baseline depression score
We found that participation in TGT with electronic social networking (TGT-SN) was effective in reducing anxiety and negative affect among HIVMSM compared with the control group
Summary
In China, the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) is worsening in all regions (Zhang et al, 2013). In addition to life-threatening physical illnesses, HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIVMSM) are exposed to severe stigma and numerous types of stressors, such as those related to relationship conflicts, finance and family problems (Thompson et al, 1996; Berg et al, 2008), resulting in a high prevalence of mental health problems. The prevalence of depression among HIVMSM ranges from 35% to 49%, which is higher than that of people living with HIV (PLWH) in general and that of HIV-negative MSM (Mills et al, 2004; Comulada et al, 2010; Bogart et al, 2011; Sivasubramanian et al, 2011).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
