Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Nearly half of all people living with HIV will experience mild to moderate problems related to memory, language, concentration, and decision-making in their lifetime even if they take combined anti-retroviral therapy as prescribed because of a condition called HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). Researchers have documented that even with mild to moderate problems resulting from HAND, people living with HIV are at greater risks for gradual deterioration of abilities to perform activities of daily living, reduction in quality of life, and serious mental health issues. Because of these risks, the value of helping community service providers who deliver mental health services to people living with HIV become better prepared in addressing issues related to HAND cannot be overstated. Our Planning and Dissemination project is a community-based and collaborative effort of researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, and Ontario HIV Treatment Network; service providers from Sherbourne Health Centre and AIDS Committee Toronto; and people living with HIV, which explores and identifies awareness, knowledge, and preparedness gaps and challenges that Ontario service providers have in addressing mental health issues related to HAND. Utilizing a dissemination plan that includes a variety of strategies and tools such as open access journal publications, live-streamed panel discussions, conference presentations and workshops, information pamphlets, fact sheets, and a community report in plain language, our project's objectives are to increase awareness of mental health issues related to HAND and promote practice recommendations among service providers, researchers, policy-makers, and the HIV-positive community that will help address the concerns of people living with or at risk of developing HAND.