Psychosocial Factors and Medication Adherence in HIV-Positive Youth

The purpose of this study was to test variables consistently identified in the adult HIV literature as predictors of adherence (self-efficacy, social support, and psychological distress) in a sample of 24 HIV-positive youth (ages 16-24). Self-efficacy and psychological distress were significantly correlated with adherence but social support was not. Social support specific to taking medications was correlated with self-efficacy. In regression analysis, both self-efficacy and psychological distress were independently related to adherence and together accounted for 47% of the variance. Results suggest the potential of mental health interventions that boost self-efficacy and reduce psychological distress but require replication with larger samples.