Psychological reactions and retention by cocaine addicts during treatment according to HIV-serostatus: a matched-control study.

We compared retention in treatment and psychological reactions during drug abuse treatment by 22 HIV-antibody positive, physically asymptomatic cocaine addicts to 22 matched HIV-seronegative cocaine addicts. All subjects participated in an outpatient clinical research project. There were no significant differences between groups in sociodemographics and psychiatric symptom scores on entrance or cocaine use except for route of administration (chi 2 = 11.59, df = 2, p less than .005). There were no significant differences among groups regarding being informed of serostatus and beginning treatment. There was a trend (p = .079) for more seropositives to complete treatment. Using end-point analysis to compare 11 seropositive subjects who completed a minimum of 2 weeks of treatment to a matched seronegative comparison groups, there were no significant differences in mood states except for "anger/hostility" (interaction of group x time; F = 2.24, df = 13/260, p less than .05). Informing drug abusers in treatment regarding positive HIV-serostatus was not associated with a lower treatment-retention rate or adverse psychological reactions when counseling regarding HIV issues was integrated with drug abuse treatment.