About 40 per cent of people living with HIV do not sufficiently adhere to their medication regimen, which adversely affects their health. The current meta-analysis investigated the effect of psychosocial interventions on medication adherence in people living with HIV. Databases were systematically searched, resulting in 43 included randomized controlled trials. Study and intervention characteristics were investigated as moderators. The overall effect size indicates a small to moderate positive effect (Hedges' g = 0.37) of psychosocial interventions on medication adherence in people living with HIV. No evidence for publication bias was found. This meta-analysis study concludes that various psychosocial interventions can improve medication adherence and thereby the health of people living with HIV.
Keywords: HIV; medication adherence; meta-analysis; psychotherapy.