Social contact-based brief video interventions to reduce stigma and improve engagement in HIV prevention and care and mental health care for youth living with and vulnerable to HIV (strive)

The National Institute of Mental Health awarded the Research Foundation of the City University of New York $696,779 on July 7, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of intersectionally-tailored brief video interventions designed to reduce public and internalized HIV stigma among young sexually minoritized men living with or vulnerable to HIV.

The project, titled STRIVE (Social Contact-Based Brief Video Interventions to Reduce Stigma and Improve Engagement in HIV Prevention and Care and Mental Health Care for Youth Living With and Vulnerable to HIV), will test brief video interventions through randomized controlled trial methodology with pre-, post-, and 30-day follow-up assessments using crowdsourcing platforms. The recipient will engage a Youth Advisory Board comprising 5–8 individuals recruited from three existing community advisory boards—the AIDS Clinical Trials Group CAB, the Ongoing HIV Vaccine Trials Network of the Columbia Collaborative Clinical Trials Unit, and Columbia University HIV Center—alongside the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as a project partner.

The work is performed in New York, New York, with a period of performance from the award date through April 30, 2031. The award is classified as a Project Grant, a standard assistance type under NIMH's research portfolio supporting specified project periods not to exceed five years.

Abstract

HIV stigma, poverty, and racism contribute to high rates of mental health problems and impede treatment for young sexually minoritized men (ysmm) living with or vulnerable to HIV. HIV stigma is associated with poorer HIV medication adherence, and worse mental health, including increased odds of suicidality for youth living with HIV. Inclusive, culturally, and contextually appropriate intersectional interventions can promote access to health services and prevent poor health outcomes including HIV transmission related behaviors. Our project, social contact-based brief video interventions to reduce stigma and improve engagement in HIV prevention and care and mental health care for youth living with and vulnerable to HIV (strive), will evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of intersectionally-tailored brief videos to reduce public and internalized HIV stigma (bvhs). Throughout the project we will engage partners from the new york city department of health and mental hygiene (NYC dohmh) (see LOS) as well as our youth advisory board comprised of 5-8 individuals recruited from three existing community advisory boards (cabs): the aids clinical trials group (actg) CAB, the ongoing HIV vaccine trials network (hvtn) of the columbia collaborative clinical trials unit (columbia CTU) (see letter of support (LOS)) and columbia university HIV center consultants (see LOS). Individuals from these groups represent diverse racial backgrounds, adolescent and young adult age ranges, and lived experience with HIV and/or mental health challenges. In aim 1 we collaborate with our YAB to adapt and then test the efficacy of bvhs to reduce public HIV stigma compared to a control using crowdsourcing platforms with pre/post/30-day follow-up assessments. In aim 2 we test the efficacy of bvhs to reduce internalized stigma and increase linkage to HIV prevention, HIV care and mental health treatment among a subset of ysmm living with or vulnerable to HIV on social media. In aim 3 we use a consolidated framework for implementation research (cfir)-informed multi-method analytical plan in order to understand implementation outcomes (e.g., acceptability, feasibility) and inform scale up and dissemination (e.g., identifying key barriers). In aim 4 we evaluate engagement and treatment-seeking behavior from the NY area dissemination of evidence-based bvhs via instagram. Through strive we will reduce HIV stigma, facilitated by emotional engagement and identification. This reduction in HIV stigma will mediate proximal outcomes by increasing HIV prevention, HIV care and mental health treatment-seeking among ysmm living with or vulnerable to HIV. This simple, intersectionally-tailored video intervention can potentially reduce duration of untreated HIV and mental health problems and alter public stigma about HIV.