Promoting Employment in Persons Living With HIV/AIDS

NCT ID: NCT03959826

Last Updated: 2026-01-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 144 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-06-12
• Study Completion Date: 2026-08-31

Brief Summary

Many persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are unemployed, with estimates indicating rates as high as 60%. This study will examine the efficacy of reinforcing job-acquisition activities for improving employment outcomes in PLWHA who desire to return to the workforce in part- or full-time capacity. In total, this study will randomly assign 144 unemployed PLWHA to one of two interventions. All participants will receive usual unemployment services with an emphasis on specific issues related to HIV/AIDS, plus encouragement for completing activities geared toward employment readiness and acquisition. The enhanced intervention will involve that same treatment plus chances to win prizes for engaging in job-related activities each week. Participants will receive study treatments for 16 weeks and complete follow-up evaluations throughout 18 months. The hypothesis is that participants reinforced for completing job-related activities will transition to employment at higher and faster rates and work more often than those who are not reinforced for job-related activities.

Detailed Description

Many persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are unemployed, with estimates indicating rates as high as 60%. This study will examine the efficacy of reinforcing job-acquisition activities for improving employment outcomes in PLWHA who desire to return to the workforce in part- or full-time capacity. In total, this study will randomly assign 144 unemployed PLWHA to one of two interventions. All participants will receive usual unemployment services with an emphasis on specific issues related to HIV/AIDS, plus encouragement for completing activities geared toward employment readiness and acquisition. The enhanced intervention will involve that same treatment plus chances to win prizes for engaging in job-related activities each week. Participants will receive study treatments for 16 weeks and complete follow-up evaluations throughout 18 months. Structured evaluations will assess employment outcomes, quality of life indices, physical and cognitive functioning, psychological symptoms, viral loads, and drug use and risk behaviors. The hypothesis is that participants reinforced for completing job-related activities will transition to employment at higher and faster rates and work more often than those who are not reinforced for job-related activities. The investigators also expect the reinforcement intervention will increase quality of life, reduce depressive symptoms, and improve medical outcomes. Compared to the standard care condition, it may also maintain or improve cognitive functioning and medication adherence and reduce risk behaviors that spread infectious diseases. The investigators will evaluate moderators and mediators of key employment and health outcomes, with an emphasis on exploring the extent to which work conditions (temporary, under the table, physically or emotionally demanding jobs etc.) impact psychosocial and physical health.

Conditions

Unemployment; HIV

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Job activity contracting

Standard services plus job activity contracting

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

activity contracting

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete job-related activity contracts each week with the goal of obtaining employment.

Reinforcement for completing activities

Standard services plus job activity contracting plus reinforcement for completing job-related activities

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

activity contracting

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete job-related activity contracts each week with the goal of obtaining employment.

contingency management for activity completion

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will earn chances to win prizes for completing specific job-related activities.

Interventions

activity contracting

Participants will complete job-related activity contracts each week with the goal of obtaining employment.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

contingency management for activity completion

Participants will earn chances to win prizes for completing specific job-related activities.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• HIV positive
• aged 18+ years
• not working in the formal economy

Exclusion Criteria

• have a condition that may hinder study participation

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

UConn Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Carla Rash

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Carla Rash, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UConn Health

Locations

United Labor Agency

Middletown, Connecticut, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

18-178-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id