# Promoting employment in persons living with HIV/AIDS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · 2024 · $589,968

## Abstract

Many persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are unemployed, with
estimates indicating rates as high as 60%. Unemployment results in lower quality
of life, greater depression and substance use, and it is associated with morbidity
and mortality. Although PLWHA face substantial challenges in obtaining and
maintaining jobs, interventions based upon behavior analytic and behavioral
economics principles can be applied alongside best practices employment
services to enhance behavior change and improve outcomes. These
interventions involve provision of monetary-based reinforcers for objective
evidence of behavior change, and they can successfully enhance job-seeking
activities. This study will examine the efficacy of reinforcing job-acquisition
activities for improving employment outcomes in PLWHA who desire to return to
the workforce in part- or full-time capacity. In total, this study will randomly assign
144 unemployed PLWHA to one of two interventions. All participants will receive
usual unemployment services with an emphasis on specific issues related to
HIV/AIDS, plus encouragement for completing activities geared toward
employment readiness and acquisition. The enhanced intervention will involve
that same treatment plus chances to win prizes ranging from $1 to $100 for
engaging in job-related activities each week. Participants will receive study
treatments for 16 weeks and complete follow-up evaluations throughout 18
months. Structured evaluations will assess employment outcomes, quality of life
indices, physical and cognitive functioning, psychological symptoms, viral loads,
and drug use and risk behaviors. The hypothesis is that participants reinforced
for completing job-related activities will transition to employment at higher and
faster rates and work more often than those who are not reinforced for jobrelated
activities. We also expect the reinforcement intervention will increase
quality of life, reduce depressive symptoms, and improve medical outcomes.
Compared to the standard care condition, it may also maintain or improve
cognitive functioning and medication adherence and reduce risk behaviors that
spread infectious diseases. We will evaluate moderators and mediators of key
employment and health outcomes, with an emphasis on exploring the extent to
which work conditions (temporary, under the table, physically or emotionally
demanding jobs etc.) impact psychosocial and physical health. We will conduct
cost-effectiveness analyses to estimate the potential for wide scale dissemination
of this intervention if efficacious.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10767890
- **Project number:** 5R01DA047183-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- **Principal Investigator:** Carla J Rash
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $589,968
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10767890

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10767890, Promoting employment in persons living with HIV/AIDS (5R01DA047183-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10767890. Licensed CC0.

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