Led by the The University of North Carolina in Vietnam, the Friendship Bench program has been adapted for a specific and vulnerable population: People Living with HIV (PLWH) who inject drugs and are receiving Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT).

 

The intervention was studied and implemented in MMT clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam. A pilot randomized trial involving 75 participants was implemented in Hanoi between 2021 and 2023 to evaluate the adapted program. Primary outcomes assessed were the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the Friendship Bench in this specific Vietnamese context. Preliminary indicators of improvement in Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) and HIV care engagement were also assessed.

 

The pilot demonstrated high feasibility - 99% retention at 6 weeks and 96% at 6 months, and high acceptability among both participants and providers.

 

Read more here:

1. An Adapted Friendship Bench Counseling Intervention (FB) to Improve Mental Health and HIV Care Engagement Outcomes Among People Living with HIV (PWH) Who Inject Drugs in Hanoi, Vietnam: Results from the VITAL Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial: LINK

2. Adaptation of a Problem-solving Program (Friendship Bench) to Treat Common Mental Disorders Among People Living With HIV and AIDS and on Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Vietnam: Formative Study: LINK

3. Friendship Bench Adaptation to Improve Mental Health & HIV Care Engagement Outcomes Among PLWH and PWID in Vietnam (VITAL): LINK