# TALC

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $306,578

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Alcohol use disorders, substance use disorders, and mental health comorbidities are a major threat to ending
the HIV epidemic. This is especially the case in Alabama and other priority states within the U.S. ‘Ending the HIV
Epidemic’ initiative. Addressing unhealthy alcohol use and mental health comorbidities in the Deep South is
made difficult by poverty and lack of public health services. Because of the similar challenges in low-resource
settings, interventions developed for low and middle-income countries (LMIC) hold promise for reducing
unhealthy alcohol use in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Alabama and improving psychosocial comorbidities
that disproportionately impact this population. Designed to address the limited mental health workforce in LMIC,
Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) is a promising treatment for unhealthy alcohol use and mental
health comorbidities in Alabama. CETA is a multi-session cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention that
employs transdiagnostic techniques to address comorbid alcohol use, other substance use, and mental health
symptoms through a single provider. CETA has been proven effective in at least 7 LMICs, with specific support
for reducing depressive symptoms and unhealthy alcohol misuse. The proposed study is a randomized trial,
Telemedicine for unhealthy Alcohol use in persons Living with HIV using CETA (TALC study), to achieve the
following aims: 1) Evaluate the effectiveness of T-CETA on unhealthy alcohol use among PLWH, 2) Evaluate
the effectiveness of T-CETA on HIV outcomes, 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of T-CETA on SUD and mental
health comorbidities, and 4) Evaluate implementation factors related to BI and T-CETA provision to people with
HIV unhealthy alcohol use in care at community clinics in Alabama including feasibility, acceptability, cost and
cost-effectiveness. PLWH (n = 308) from community-based HIV clinics in Alabama will be enrolled in the trial.
Patients will be eligible if they self-report unhealthy alcohol use on a validated tool (AUDIT), which is assessed
every 4-6 months as part of routine care. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to a brief alcohol intervention (BI)
versus BI plus T-CETA (n = 154 per arm). This is one of two program projects aiming to test the effectiveness of
CETA on unhealthy alcohol use, mental health comorbidities, and HIV outcomes among PLWH residing in
underserved areas. If the project aims are achieved, it will significantly advance our understanding of strategies
to reduce HIV disease progression and transmission in Alabama and advance the President’s Plan to End the
HIV Epidemic. Following achievement of these aims, we plan to conduct a multi-site implementation study to
address barriers identified in the implementation assessment (Aim 4) and translate study findings into routine
community care in other priority states for reducing HIV across the Southern U.S.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10915741
- **Project number:** 5P01AA029540-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Ellen Florence Eaton
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $306,578
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-10 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10915741

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10915741, TALC (5P01AA029540-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10915741. Licensed CC0.

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