Phone-based therapy to reduce unhealthy drinking for people living with HIV
TALC
This program offers multi-session phone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy to help adults living with HIV cut down on unhealthy drinking and improve mood and other mental health problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11173883 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join a randomized program that delivers the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) by telemedicine to address drinking, other substance use, and mental health symptoms. If you join, you would be randomly assigned to receive T-CETA sessions from a single trained provider or to the comparison condition, and you would complete questionnaires about alcohol use and mental health over time. The therapy uses practical cognitive-behavioral techniques proven in low-resource settings and is adapted for phone or video delivery in the Deep South. The team is conducting the work out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and focuses on adults living with HIV who report unhealthy alcohol use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (age 21 and older) living with HIV who report unhealthy alcohol use and may have depression, anxiety, or other substance-use problems—especially those in Alabama and similar low-resource Deep South communities.
Not a fit: People who do not have unhealthy drinking, cannot use phone/video visits, or need urgent medical or psychiatric care are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce unhealthy drinking, improve depression and anxiety, and help people with HIV stay healthier and engaged in care.
How similar studies have performed: CETA has shown benefit for depression and unhealthy alcohol use in multiple low- and middle-income countries, though telemedicine delivery for people with HIV in the U.S. Deep South is a newer application.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eaton, Ellen Florence — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Eaton, Ellen Florence
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.