HEAL Study
A study evaluating telemedicine-based interventions to support healing, reduce unhealthy alcohol use and improve well-being among women living with HIV
What is Heal?
HEAL stands for Healingthrough Expressive Writing and Brief Alcohol Intervention. HEAL is a researchstudy designed to evaluate whether a brief, telemedicine-based intervention canreduce unhealthy alcohol use and address the effects of trauma among womenliving with HIV.
An Integrated Approach to Healing
HEAL combines twoevidence-based approaches: a brief alcohol intervention and expressive writingabout traumatic memories. The intervention allows participants to engage fromhome while researchers evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness.The study aims to evaluate whether this combined approach is feasible,acceptable to participants, and effective at reducing unhealthy alcohol use andtrauma-related symptoms among women living with HIV.
Whats the Problem?
Nearly 50% of womenliving with HIV report unhealthy alcohol use. In addition, approximately 30% experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a rate roughly five timeshigher than that observed among women without HIV. Research suggests thatalcohol use and trauma are associated with poorer HIV-related outcomes,including challenges with treatment adherence, engagement in care, and overallhealth and wellbeing
