# Effectiveness of an Integrated Treatment to Address Smoking Cessation and Anxiety/Depression in People Living with HIV

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $166,958

## Abstract

Early data indicate that smoking increases the severity of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms.
Individuals living with HIV are more likely to smoke and less likely to quit than those in the general population,
placing them at high risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes. Comorbidities associated with HIV, including
cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease, further heighten risk for a severe course of COVID-19 illness,
which has been linked to over 40,000 deaths in the U.S. thus far. To mitigate COVID-19 related health
disparities and inform intervention strategies, it is crucial to assess the degree to which nicotine dependence
and HIV disease stage affect the onset and progression of COVID-19 in smokers living with HIV.
 Disruptions to engagement in HIV care and antiretroviral therapy regimens may compromise efforts to
maintain viral suppression and lead to increases in rates of anxiety and depression, both of which are already
elevated in individuals living with HIV compared to the general population. Increases in negative affect (anxiety
and depression) are established pathways to smoking relapse among smokers living with HIV who may use
cigarettes to regulate their negative mood; therefore, increases in anxiety and depression resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic could impact smoking cessation and relapse. Given the primary outcomes of the parent
grant, we will also examine the ways in which COVID-19 related mental health responses COVID-19influence
uptake of smoking cessation treatments, smoking abstinence, and other relevant smoking outcomes.
 This proposed Administrative Supplement is responsive to the Notice of Special Interest regarding the
Availability of Administrative Supplements Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (NOSI - NOT-DA-20-047)
issued by NIDA and is appropriate to PA-18-591 (Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants).
Specifically, our application is responsive to 3 areas of research requested by the NOSI: (1) “Research to
determine whether substance use (especially smoking tobacco…) is a risk factor for the onset and progression
of COVID-19,” (2) “Research on how HIV among persons who use substances may impact the onset and
progression of COVID-19,” and (3) “Research using ongoing studies to understand the broad impacts of
COVID-19 (e.g., anxiety...) on …, substance use, substance use disorders, and access to addiction treatment.”
 Through this administrative supplement application we directly address these three areas and propose the
following specific aims: (1) to quantify the relationship among baseline nicotine dependence severity, baseline
HIV disease stage and their interaction), with COVID-19 outcomes (COVID-19 susceptibility, clinical symptom
burden, level of treatment, COVID-19 disease outcome) over up to 2 years of follow up; and (2) quantify
manifestations of negative affect that have emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the degree to
which these different manifestations impact uptake of...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10152910
- **Project number:** 3R01DA047933-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Conall Michael O'Cleirigh
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $166,958
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-05-15 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10152910

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10152910, Effectiveness of an Integrated Treatment to Address Smoking Cessation and Anxiety/Depression in People Living with HIV (3R01DA047933-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10152910. Licensed CC0.

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