Helping people with HIV reduce unhealthy drinking using CETA counseling

CETA-CORE

NIH-funded research University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11173876

This project will offer a counseling program called CETA to help adults with HIV cut down on unhealthy drinking and stay on HIV treatment in Zambia and Alabama.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Birmingham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11173876 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

As someone living with HIV, this program uses a counseling approach called the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) plus a brief alcohol intervention delivered at HIV clinics to help reduce unhealthy drinking. Two linked clinical trials in Zambia and Alabama will compare how well these clinic-based treatments work, examine who benefits most and why, and train local providers to deliver the interventions with ongoing supervision. The team will also study costs and real-world implementation issues to support wider use if the approach works.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) living with HIV who report unhealthy alcohol use and receive care at participating HIV clinics in Zambia or Alabama.

Not a fit: People who do not drink at unhealthy levels, are not receiving HIV care at participating clinics, or live outside the study sites are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help people with HIV drink less, improve medication adherence and viral control, and make integrated alcohol care more available at HIV clinics.

How similar studies have performed: CETA and brief alcohol interventions have shown promise in prior mental health and alcohol programs, but their combined effect on HIV outcomes across Zambia and Alabama is still being tested.

Where this research is happening

Birmingham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.