A Community-Engaged, Team-Based Approach to HIV Care and Research in the Mostly Rural Deep South

Numerous disparities exist in rates of HIV infection, the number of people living with HIV and/or AIDS, AIDS-related deaths, and HIV outcomes throughout the United States and in Alabama. People living with HIV are more likely than individuals in the general population to experience depression and anxiety and to have histories of substance abuse, yet they are less likely to access treatment, especially in the rural South (Burnam et al., 2001). This paper describes a mixed-methods study that used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to develop and evaluate a multilevel program involving group counseling, telemedicine, and peer support to improve mental health, substance abuse, and HIV-related outcomes, including HIV treatment adherence and retention, among people living with HIV in Alabama.