ایدز

HIV is one of the human sufferings with its global prevalence and the lack of effective treatment methods. Therefore, education can be considered an effective solution to prevent new cases. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of two educational methods on the knowledge and attitude of third year high school students.

This research is a semi-experimental study in the form of a census of the survey and selection of all possible examples (400) students of third year high school Chalderan city has done. To collect questionnaire data from triploid including demographic information, knowledge and attitude by the research units in the two pre-test and post-test completed, has been used. People under consideration to three lectures, group discussions have been divided. Data collected by the Software spss16 descriptive and inferential statistical tests and analysis have been.

The results showed that knowledge of students before and after training in three groups, lectures and group discussion and control of statistically significant differences existed. (p<0.001) as the group average speech awareness of 17.46 to 20.54 in group lecture, 17.85 to 22.38 in group discussions from 17.31 in the control group has improved to 18.26. Also, significant difference between the level of student attitudes before and after training among the three groups were observed (p<0.05). Comparing the two methods in education and the level of awareness improved of attitudes were significantly different (p<0.05).

The results suggest that despite the impact of two educational methods on knowledge and attitudes of students (the control group), the effectiveness of group discussion has more than lecture and as a more effective way than this study was accepted.

Many clients referred to accommodation centers and camps are already undergoing antiretroviral treatment after being diagnosed with HIV. Discontinuation or irregular use of medication can lead to treatment failure and drug resistance. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of experts, key stakeholders, and patients on all aspects of HIV diagnosis, care, and treatment, both within and outside residential facilities.

A focus group discussion lasting an average of 75 minutes was held with 12 experts, and three patients were interviewed individually. This research took place at the Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in September 2021. The analysis was conducted using content analysis, which involved categorizing data into main categories, sub-categories, and codes. Open code software was utilized for this purpose.

The study uncovered challenges faced by individuals before and after discharge from these facilities (important categories and sub-categories), including financial concerns, a shortage of specialized and knowledgeable staff, lack of understanding among clients regarding medication adherence and treatment benefits, inadequate attention given to clients, absence of follow-up contact information, substance abuse issues, and insufficient prioritization of HIV patients in these settings.

The findings highlight the necessity for new strategies in post-discharge follow-up, as well as the provision of medical, supportive, and educational services. Potential solutions may include providing housing for homeless patients, assisting patients in accessing mental health counseling centers, optimizing existing resources, and fostering a community environment that actively fights against stigma and discrimination.

Needle stick is one of the problems faced by the employees of healthcare centers, especially nurses. Considering the importance of this issue, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on the health belief model on the preventive behaviors of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and AIDS infections among nurses in the ICU departments of Imam Hassan hospital in Bojnord city.

The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted in an interventional way in 2022 on 76 employees of the ICU department of the the Imam Hassan hospital who were allocated in two experimental and control groups. The samples were selected by simple random sampling method. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire. SPSS statistical software version 20 was used to analyze the data.

The results showed that sharp object penetration training had a significant effect on the components of the health belief model, including perceived sensitivity, perceived intensity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, symptoms for action and behavior, and exposure behaviors.

By holding training courses, the necessary information on the prevention of injuries caused by sharp objects should be transferred to the health and treatment staff.

AIDS, as one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world, is a major health problem and the most important challenge of the health system. Moreover, prevention is known as the most important way to deal with it. Prevention of AIDS requires gaining awareness about the disease, how it is transmitted, and ways to prevent it. The purpose of this review study is to investigate the level of students’ awareness about AIDS.

Methods and Materials:

 This review article has been performed using awareness, students, AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus keywords and their English equivalents through PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, SID and Magiran databases, and Google Scholar search engine from the years of 2010 to 2023. 124 articles were extracted. Finally, 18 studies were included considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The findings indicate that the level of students’ awareness of AIDS and HIV was different in different areas and different fields of study. In addition, students had misconceptions about the methods of transmission of this disease.

According to the findings of the research and the different levels of students’ awareness about AIDS, there are needs of interventions such as providing different training to this group, so that the students’ awareness improves to an optimal level and this issue prevents the spread of this disease.

 One of the strong predictors of the occurrence of risky behaviors is the components of sensation seeking and maladaptive styles of emotion regulation. Sensation-seeking is based on irritability and is defined as the desire to experience diverse, complex, and passionate emotions and situations, along with the desire to accept physical, social, legal, and financial risks. A history of risky behaviors is related to the components of sensation seeking and attachment and can be considered a risk factor for the occurrence of addictive behaviors. People with high levels of sensation seeking are usually variety-seeking, impatient, impulsive in obtaining rewards, unable to accept failure, and often disorganized. Zuckerman defines sensation seeking as having four components: adventure or risk-seeking, which refers to seeking excitement through risky but socially acceptable activities such as speeding or skydiving; experience seeking, which involves seeking excitement through unusual and novel activities; lack of inhibition, in which some people resort to drugs, alcohol, or gambling to escape social constraints; and boredom proneness, which involves high sensitivity to monotony and an attempt to escape it, such that people seek exciting activities to stimulate themselves. Maintaining and promoting individual and social health requires special attention to the role of risky behaviors. Given the importance of this issue and its numerous risks, and also considering that various studies have identified various factors as effective in the occurrence of high-risk behaviors, a comprehensive study with the variables examined in the present study has not been conducted so far, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of high-risk behaviors and its relationship with sensation-seeking components in those referred to social emergency services in Jask and Minab counties.

 The present study is a descriptive (non-experimental) correlational study that was approved by the Islamic Azad University Zahedan Branch Commission with the ethics code IR.IAU.ZAH.REC.1401.065. The statistical population studied in this study was all those referred to social emergency services in Jask and Minab counties in 2021-2022, of which 300 (61% female and 39% male) were selected from 650 people who were referred using the available method. The selected sample responded to the Rajai and Shafiei Risk Behavior Questionnaire (2011) and the Zuckerman Thrill Seeking Scale, Form 5. The research data were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-25 statistical software and analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression.

 The results showed that the prevalence of addiction in the studied individuals was 100 (34.33), the prevalence of AIDS in 79 (26.33), tobacco use in 178 (59.33%), alcohol use in 143 (47.66%), violence in 141 (47.00%), and unhealthy eating patterns in 141 (47.00). Also, the occurrence of high-risk behaviors in the studied individuals is very high. The results of the study showed that experience-seeking, adventure, boredom, and avoidance of inhibition have a significant effect on the occurrence of high-risk behaviors.

 The results of this study are an important step towards understanding the factors affecting the tendency to high-risk behaviors in individuals and can pave the way for creating a healthy society and promoting a suitable lifestyle. One of the high-risk behaviors threatening people with high sensation seeking is the use of ineffective emotion-oriented strategies against the use of opiates and alcohol. Being infected is a vicious cycle. Because the higher level of sensation seeking and having stressful events increases the consumption of drugs and alcohol this problem remains. They do not use these substances solely for pleasure, but they use them as a means of suppressing and overcoming their inner rebellion. On the other hand, there is a possibility that this vulnerable group, which is rejected by positive friends and peers who show a logical and restrained reaction in facing the problems and issues of life, will join and tend to join deviant groups, which in itself can provide a favorable environment for the tendency to risky behaviors. Also, in explaining this finding, it can be said that the tendency to engage in risky behaviors can be a way to reduce unpleasant emotions, and since the individual does not have sufficient and adaptive strategies, he inevitably uses harmful methods that are effective in the short term but have undesirable consequences in the long term. In fact, in such situations, risky behaviors become a kind of emotional regulation strategy that helps the individual escape from a difficult situation or forget and adjust to the unpleasant internal state. Given that the present study used the correlation method, it is not possible to achieve causal results. Also, limitations related to the statistical population of the study can affect the generalization of the findings, interpretations, and causal inferences of the variables under study, which needs to be taken into account. It is suggested that the results of this study be used in the form of skill and educational services in centers, schools, and universities.

Chemokine receptor type 5 is recognized as the main co-receptor in HIV infection. Many studies have shown that the deletion of 32-base pairs (bp) of both alleles of CCR5 leads to the reduction or elimination of the expression of this gene in immune cells and the natural resistance to HIV infection. This study aims to determine the frequency of delta 32 mutations in healthy people, referring to the health center of Gonabad City, Iran, to focus on finding new treatment methods for the treatment of HIV. 

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, after obtaining ethical approval and informed consent, blood samples were collected from 293 healthy people along with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anticoagulant. Genomic DNA extraction was carried out by the kit, and the investigation of delta 32 (∆32) mutation of the CCR5 gene was investigated via the polymerase chain reaction method. 

Our results showed that out of 293 people who referred to the health center, 269 people (91.8%) had a healthy gene without mutation (188 bp), 15 people (5.1%) had heterozygous mutations (188 bp and 156 bp), and 9 people (3.07%) had a homozygous mutation on both alleles of CCR5 (156 bp). 

Based on the results, the homozygous mutation rate of Gonabad Region, Iran, in the studied community is higher compared to similar studies, and more epidemiological and molecular studies are needed for better conclusions.

Due to the increase in public interest in the use of traditional and complementary medicine in various diseases, it is necessary in order to adopt a suitable policy that  know the extent of people's use, the type of use and the characteristics of the people. We aimed to determine the frequency and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use and the reason of use among patients suffering from HIV/AIDS in Fasa city.

This research is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 96 patients with HIV/AIDS at the behavioral disease counseling center in Fasa city. The sample size was determined by census. Two questionnaires were used to collect data: a researcher-made questionnaire to examine the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine use and other questionnaire was the Quality of Life of the World Health Organization for people with HIV (WHOQOL-HIV). The data analysis for this study involved the use of descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, independent t-test, and logistic regression model.

Of 96 patients, 78.12% reported using traditional medicine. The most common used type were cupping and medicinal plants. Chamomile and thyme were the most popular herbs used. The most common reason for using chamomile was relaxation, and they often used thyme to increase the general health of the body.

It is necessary to implement appropriate policies and practical responses to increase traditional and complementary medicine use so these services are available safely, timely and with sufficient quality.

Healthcare workers, including dental students are at risk of transmission of blood-borne infections like Hepatitis and AIDS because of their continuous contact with blood and other body fluids. Thus it is necessary for them to achieve enough knowledge, proper attitude and right behavior regarding to these diseases through efficient training so they can treat infected patients, which is their ethical and legal duty. The present study was designed to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of dental students in School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences about HIV and Hepatitis in 2019-2020.

This observational-descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 188 4th, 5th and 6th year dental students of Yazd Faculty of Dentistry, 170 of whom completed the questionnaire. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire including two parts of demographic information and knowledge, attitude and performance questions; data were analyzed using T-Test, ANOVA and chi-score tests and SPSS version 16.

The mean score of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hepatitis and AIDS was 20/77 (out of 30), 32/04 (out of 45) and 46/17 (out of 52), respectively. The students had low knowledge level about prophylaxis treatments after needlestick injuries and screening tests. They also had poor attitude towards treating the infected patients. There was a significant difference in practice between males and females. (P-value<0.05).

Dental students performed well in relation to hepatitis and AIDS diseases despite their average knowledge and attitude. Thus there should be an emphasis on knowledge improvement and attitude alternation in Yazd Faculty of Dentistry.

One of the methods of addiction treatment and reduce its related high risk behaviors is maintenance treatment with agonist drugs. It is necessary to determine the economic evaluation related to this method due to the concern about the cost of services. Accordingly, this study aimed to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of maintenance treatment centers in Tehran.

This cost-effectiveness study was a longitudinal study before and after receiving treatment with agonist drugs in private centers. In this study, the reduction of high risk behaviors was regarded as the effectiveness index. Totally, 300 people referred to the maintenance treatment centers in Tehran between 2017 and 2018 were selected using cluster sampling method. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and sensitivity analysis.

A six months survey showed that of all the high-risk behaviors with the possibility of contracting HIV/AIDS; It has decreased from 160 (before going to the maintenance treatment centers) to 42. Also, the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio showed that the intervention is cost effective.

This study showed that maintenance treatment centers have higher effectiveness than their costs in reducing high risk behaviors.

Today, discriminatory behaviors of health workers towards people with AIDS are common practices. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of online micro-learning and brainstorming on nursing students' awareness about mistreatment of HIV/AIDS patients.

In this quasi-experimental study, 90 nursing students were selected and randomly assigned into three groups. After a pre-test of students’ knowledge about discriminatory behaviors, the first group was educated through online micro-learning method and the second group was educated through brainstorming in the skyroom. The control group did not receive any education. Finally, the post-test was done immediately in three groups.

The results showed significant differences between pre-test and post-test of students’ knowledge in the online micro-learning(p=0.001) and online brainstorming (0.001) groups. But there was no difference in the control group (p=0.125). Also, after education, a significant difference was seen between the mean scores of knowledges in three groups (p=0.001). The post-hoc tests showed significant differences between control, brainstorming (p=0.003) and micro-learning groups (p=0.009), but there was no difference between brainstorming and micro-learning groups. 

Findings showed that the both online teaching methods, micro-learning and brainstorming, could increase students’ awareness of discriminatory behaviors towards HIV/AIDS patients. Considering the importance of virtual education due to Coronavirus pandemic, it is suggested to use these two online methods to enhance students’ knowledge.

Candida species are opportunistic yeasts that can cause opportunistic infections when the host becomes debilitated or immunocompromised. Coriander is a plant belonging to the Umbelliferae family and its leaves and seeds are widely used in traditional medicine. Coriander essential oil (E.O.) has shown antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effect of fluconazole alone and with coriander E.O on 39 Candida species isolated from the mouth of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive individuals.

In this study, the broth microdilution tests according to the CLSI M27-S3 were applied to find the amount of Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of fluconazole alone and together with coriander E.O (synergism) for each Candida isolate. For this purpose, the E.O. of Coriander seeds was extracted using a Clevenger apparatus by steam hydro-distillation, and then the synergism effect of E.O. and fluconazole on Candida isolates was investigated. Data were analyzed by SPSS-25 software. Mann-Whitney, and Tukey post hoc tests, and the one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the results.

Susceptibility of fluconazole was determined as follows: 69.2% of the Candida isolates were sensitive, 17.9% were resistant and 12.9% were susceptible dose-dependent (SDD). The MIC mean was 27.3 μg/ml for fluconazole, 32.7 μg/ml for coriander E.O, and 9.39 μg/ml for the combined effect of fluconazole and Coriander E.O (synergistic effects).

The fact that Coriander E.O has an inhibitory effect on all Candida isolates used in this study, it can be considered a capable antifungal, especially in combination with fluconazole (synergistic effects), and the antifungal effect of Coriander E.O is proposed to investigate in treating candidiasis for future clinical trials.

Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is an emerging disease that has a close relationship with high-risk behaviors and affected different age groups, gender, race, culture, and social and economic classes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of demographic variables in the relationship between high-risk behaviors and HIV/AIDS.

This descriptive study was conducted using the census method on 3838 people referred to behavioral disease counseling centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2020. The data collection tool was the national software for registering behavioral diseases consultation, including demographic variables and high-risk behaviors in two groups of HIV/AIDS identified as positive and negative. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

According to the final model, demographic variables explain 13.46% of disease cases, but high-risk behaviors explain 44.40% of disease cases. Therefore, the explanatory power of demographic variables in contracting the disease is lower than high-risk behaviors, so demographic variables do not play a mediating role. The relationship between demographic variables and high-risk behaviors and HIV/AIDS was statistically significant (p<0.001).

According to the findings, demographic variables do not play a mediating role, and considering the significant relationship between demographic variables and high-risk behaviors and AIDS, demographic variables play a confounding role. Therefore, continuous educational programs in the field of prevention and control of high-risk behaviors will be very helpful in reducing the incidence of AIDS. 

Adherence to the regular medication has an important role in controlling and treatment of AIDS. The aim of the present research was to develop, implement, and evaluation of an interventional program to promote medication adherence among AIDS patients referred to Behavioral Diseases Counseling Centers in Kermanshah by using the I-Change model.

The present research was a quasi-experimental interventional efficacy study among a total of 150 AIDS patients in Kermanshah, 2021 who were randomly selected and assigned to intervention and control (each, n = 75) groups. The intervention development was based on the I-Change model needs assessment and intervention mapping approach, the collected data was evaluated before and three months after the implementation intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS-16.

The mean age of patients was 39.11 [SD: 6.07], ranging from 22 -51 years. After implementing the intervention in the intervention group, the mean score of regular medication adherence behaviors (P <0.001, d= 0.48) and knowledge (P = 0.028, d= 0.31) was significantly higher and the perceived barrier (P = 0.020, d= 0.35) was lower than in the control group.

I-Change model can be used as a basis for the development of interventional programs to improve medication adherence among AIDS patients.

AIDS is one of the largest deadly and chronic infectious diseases in the world. The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of group training with a positive approach and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the psychological well-being and productivity of people with HIV.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study. For this purpose, 45 people with HIV were randomly selected and divided into three groups of 15 people (Positive group training, ACT, and control). Reef's psychological well-being questionnaire and Connor-Davidson Resilience scale were administered for all three groups (pre-test). The participants of the experimental groups were trained in eight sessions of 90 minutes. Two weeks after the training, the post-test was performed. In order to analyze the data, covariance analysis was used.

The results showed that positive group training and ACT were effective in promoting psychological well-being and resilience. Based on the findings, there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of positive group training and ACT on psychological well-being and resilience of patients with HIV.

In summary, the results showed that both approaches (training of positive Approach and ACT) have beneficial effects on the lives of people living with HIV.

Different beliefs and attitudes of individuals sometimes lead to different forms of stigma and discrimination against a group with different beliefs. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of stigma and discrimination and to express the discriminatory practices of nursing students of Urmia Islamic Azad University in the face of HIV / AIDS patients.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 90 nursing students of 5th and 6th semesters of Islamic Azad University of Urmia were selected by census and examined using a questionnaire of behavior and professional care of patients with AIDS. SPSS 16 software and descriptive statistical tests were used to analyze the data.

76.7% believed that they could refuse to provide services to AIDS patients in order to maintain their health and that of their families. 55.5% of students considered fear of infection as the most important concern in the care treatment of AIDS patients. 7.8% of students stated that they refused to provide care treatment to an AIDS patient.

Increasing the stigma and discrimination of nursing students towards AIDS patients can be due to fear of infection and lack of preventive measures.

  Although everyone needs to adopt a healthy lifestyle, it is absolutely important for people living with chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS to lead a positive lifestyle because these people are more vulnerable than others. Considering this fact, the present study was conducted to investigates the lifestyle of women living with HIV/AIDS in Kerman.

The Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) was used in this survey, which includes six aspects as follows: responsibility, moral development, workout, nutrition, individual relations and stress management. Statistical population included 35 women living with HIV/AIDS in Kerman in 2019.

According to the findings of this study, 34.14% of people who participated in this study had a positive lifestyle and the remaining 62.86% had a negative lifestyle. Based on the findings related to the women’s lifestyle, there was a significant difference in family income and job status. No significant difference was found in other variables such as marital status, age group, education and years living with HIV.

As economic variables (family income and job status) play an important role in adopting a positive lifestyle for people living with HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to help them become self-employed or support them financially so that they can lead a healthy lifestyle.

One of the chronic diseases is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is a chronic and progressive disease that affects patients' quality of life. The disease has a slow course of development and weakens the immune system. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the causative agent of AIDS. It is a group of retroviruses that invade and disrupt the cells of the immune system and cause fatal infections. Human immunodeficiency viruses are HIV1 and HIV2, which are cytopathic viruses. HIV–infected people develop symptoms such as fever, sweating, tremor, lymph node swelling, weakness and fatigue, weight loss, chronic diarrhea, blindness, excessive fatigue, and CD4 loss. The infected people are susceptible to AIDS. It can cause various cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer, and lymphoma. AIDS can lead to the involvement of neurological problems and may cause early symptoms of central nervous system failure, depression, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, loss of consciousness, apathy, and decreased desire to have sex and may cause confusion, balance disorder, convulsions, advanced dementia, and coma. AIDS can adversely affect all aspects of life, including physical, social, and family life, and even the family members of these patients may be affected. AIDS is a social and medical issue with widespread negative consequences and challenges. It also poses many negative challenges to individuals' and social lives and undermines social and economic growth worldwide, although its negative consequences cannot be reverted. Iranian researchers found that in infected patients, CD4 cell counts of less than 200 cells per microliter were likely to be infections of the lungs, pulmonary tuberculosis, and brain toxoplasmosis, so cell counts should be performed regularly. The researchers found that as predictors of neuronal hormone factors in developing norepinephrine HIV, depression, hopelessness, and avoidant coping significantly reduced CD4 and increased viral load in patients. Also, cortisol hormone correlated with CD4 count. It may not, but it can predict increased viral load. However, there are different conclusions about the impact of exercise on CD4. Researchers have suggested exercise training in health services to improve the mental health of women with AIDS and found that exercise did not affect CD4 count. Considering the importance of HIV and AIDS, this research investigated the effect of cognitive–behavioral group therapy and mindfulness–based cognitive therapy on improving the quality of life and increasing CD4 count in HIV/AIDS patients.

The present study was quasi–experimental with a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population includes HIV/AIDS patients referring to Ahvaz Behavioral Counseling Center, Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2019. They were selected by convenience sampling. The sample consisted of three groups of 15 randomly assigned to three groups: cognitive–behavioral therapy, mindfulness–based cognitive therapy, and control group. After implementing a pretest on the cognitive–behavioral and mindfulness groups, the experimental intervention was administered in 8 sessions for one hour and a half one session per week. Quality of Life Scale, CD4 index, and Demographic Factor Questionnaire were used for data collection. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used for data analysis in SPSS.22 software.

The findings showed a statistically significant difference between the three groups of cognitive–behavioral, mindfulness, and control in terms of quality–of–life components (F=8.03, p<0.0001) and CD4 (F=13.85, p<0.0001). These findings suggest that mindfulness therapy is more effective than cognitive–behavioral therapy in improving the quality of life and CD4 of HIV/AIDS patients.

Our study shows that cognitive–behavioral therapy and mindfulness improve the quality of life and CD4 index of AIDS patients, but mindfulness–based cognitive therapy has a greater impact on improving the quality of life and CD4 of AIDS patients.

 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDs) is one of the life-threatening diseases around the world. Today, different human societies are struggling with this disease. In addition to physiological effects, HIV disease can have devastating psychological and social effects. A positive HIV in person brings shock, crisis, stress and anxiety to the infected person and his family. These psychological consequences have a profound effect on the progression of the disease and adherence to treatment. Like many other chronic medical conditions, HIV can have psychosocial consequences in addition to physical consequences, including depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, low life expectancy, poor problem solving, feeling lonely and stigma. Anger, emotional imbalance, poor self-concept and suicidal ideations are expected psychological consequences associated with AIDs, which usually result in. The worsening of physical symptoms, functional impairment, decreased treatment compliance, decreased social health and decreased quality of life in patients. The present study examined the effect of schema therapy on self-concept and social health among people living with HIV (PLWH) in order to promote mental health.

 The research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population were all PLWH who were referred to the voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centre of Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2019-2020. 30 PLWH  were selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (n=15). Both groups were matched in terms of gender, level of education, marital status, age and history of substance abuse. The experimental group received group schema therapy training in ten sessions of 120 minutes (two sessions per week) with the Yang schema therapy model. The control group did not receive any intervention. Rogers self-concept and Keyes's social health questionnaires were used before and after the training. The Rogers self-concept questionnaire is provided in two forms, A and B. Each form contains 25 bipolar traits (positive and negative); which form A measures a person's attitude towards the authentic self, and Form B measures the ideal self. The other questionnaire is the social health questionnaire which has five sub-scales, including social adaptation, social participation, social cohesion, social prosperity and social acceptance. The obtained data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance with α=0.05.

 The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of self-concept and social health. There was a significant difference in self-concept between the two groups (p<0.001). Significant differences in all subscales of social health, including social adaptation, social cohesion, social prosperity, social acceptance (p<0.001) and social participation (p=0.018), were also observed.

 Based on the results, the implementation of schema therapy among PLWH brings the authentic self of PLWH closer to their ideal self, and as a result, it leads to a positive self-concept; Schema therapy also decreases isolation and makes more communication through membership in social groups and improving interpersonal relationships as a basis for healthy social interactions which ultimately leads to increased social health. Therefore, training in schema therapy techniques for PLWH can be a practical step in improving self-concept and social health.