This two-year study will be conducted in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam in collaboration with the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene & Epidemiology (NIHE). This study will develop and pilot an intervention aimed at increasing family support for IDU’s behavior change and family capacities to effectively cope with the impact of IDUs and HIV.

Targeted Risk Group: 

IDUs, family members

Intervention model: 

Planned behavior change, Stages of change, and Psych-education

Research Methods: 

• Focus group to develop the content, format and delivery plan for the intervention
• Intervention will be delivered to 40 IDUs and 40 their family members
• Assessments will be conducted with 80 IDUs and 80 Family members at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.

Local Significance: 

The findings from the study will inform the design of the full-scale intervention trial for families coping with IDU and/or HIV in Vietnam. By addressing HIV and IDUs, this intervention could potentially reduce the psychological, physical and emotional demands of living with chronic HIV, coping with drug use, and improve the safety of society. A dissemination of the intervention design to district hospitals in Vietnam can improve the lives of families in dealing HIV and IDUs.

International Significance: 

This study demonstrates a model to combine traditional drug use treatment with psychosocial and behavioral intervention. This can be applied to other countries with different cultures.