# Understanding and addressing mental and substance use disorders among people living with HIV in low-resource settings

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $155,091

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The purpose of this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to provide the candidate with
training and expertise needed to become an independent scientist who conducts implementation research at
the intersection of mental and substance use disorders (MSD) and HIV. The candidate plans to generate
knowledge and advance understanding of the impact of MSD on key HIV treatment outcomes in the context of
universal test and treat (UTT) strategies in low-resource settings and identify promising implementation
strategies to integrate and scale evidence-based MSD interventions within HIV care programs. To achieve
these goals, the candidate plans to supplement her training in epidemiology and social work with training in: 1)
implementation science, focused on integrating evidence-based MSD interventions into HIV clinics in low-
resource settings 2) mixed methods, and 3) evidence-based MSD interventions. Training goals will be met
through graduate-level coursework, scientific conferences, directed readings, intensive mentorship, and
experiential learning through the proposed research. WHO guidelines call for antiretroviral therapy for all
people living with HIV regardless of CD4 cell count. Because MSD are both common among people living with
HIV and drive suboptimal HIV care outcomes, UTT goals are unlikely to be achieved without attention to MSD
in HIV care programs. The extent to which MSD may be major barriers to the successful implementation of
UTT in low-resource settings is not known. In many low-resource settings, HIV providers neither screen nor
treat patients for MSD, leaving a need for integration of evidence-based MSD care. The candidate proposes to
study MSD among PLWH in the context of UTT implementation in Cameroon, which began UTT
implementation in 2016. Cameroon is a WHO 2020 Fast Track country and has the highest HIV prevalence in
West and Central Africa, low ART coverage, and high prevalence of alcohol use disorders and depressive
symptoms. Using mixed methods, the candidate will examine the impact of MSD on HIV treatment outcomes in
the context of UTT and identify the most important barriers and facilitators to integration of evidence-based
MSD interventions into HIV care at three HIV clinics in Cameroon. She will use information gained at these
three clinics to systematically assess implementation gaps and capacity to integrate evidence-based MSD
interventions at 57 HIV care sites in sub-Saharan Africa where UTT is taking place to inform integration on a
larger scale. The proposed research will be embedded in the International Epidemiology Database to Evaluate
AIDS (IeDEA) network, the largest global HIV/AIDS implementation research network of HIV care cohorts.
Identification of key modifiable patient-, provider-, and health facility-level factors that influence implementation
and sustained uptake of evidence-based MSD interventions in HIV care, particularly in the context of UTT, is
essential to i...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9948004
- **Project number:** 5K01MH114721-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela Parcesepe
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $155,091
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-20 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9948004

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9948004, Understanding and addressing mental and substance use disorders among people living with HIV in low-resource settings (5K01MH114721-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9948004. Licensed CC0.

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