Evaluating mental health integration in PrEP programs to reduce HIV incidence among US gay and bisexual men: a...

Despite advances in HIV prevention, achieving elimination in the United States (US) remains challenging, particularly among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Psychosocial barriers, including stigma and mental health challenges, influence sexual behaviors and hinder engagement in HIV prevention and care, suggesting that integrated interventions may improve HIV-related service uptake and reduce HIV incidence.

We adapted a stochastic network model simulating HIV transmission dynamics in a southeastern US metro to include individual-level sexual stigma and mental health factors impacting HIV risk and service engagement. The model assessed the impact of integrating routine mental health screening and resilience-building mental health care into PrEP programs and evaluated intervention effects on HIV incidence over ten years.

Enhancements in mental health services alone led to modest reductions in HIV incidence, averting 12% of new infections with maximum improvements in depression diagnosis and treatment initiation across the general GBMSM population. However, integrated strategies combining mental health care with expanded PrEP and ART coverage resulted in up to a 41% reduction in HIV incidence when targeted at all HIV-negative individuals within PrEP settings, reaching a final-year incidence rate of 0.52 per 100 person-years.

Integrating mental health care into PrEP programs is an important step but it is not sufficient to achieve substantial reductions in HIV incidence. Substantial declines require broader engagement in both PrEP and ART, with a coordinated approach that addresses mental health alongside these HIV prevention strategies.