Single-Session Interventions to Enhance HIV Outcomes: A Systematic Scoping Review and Implications for Integrating HIV and Mental Health Services

Significant progress has been made in HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents and young adults (AYA), but integrating mental healthcare remains essential to address risks and improve treatment engagement. Single-session interventions (SSIs) offer a cost-effective, scalable way to improve access to HIV and mental health services. While evidence shows SSIs reduce sexual risk behaviors and enhancemental health, their combined impact on both areas has not yet been reviewed. This scoping review evaluates SSIs designed for AYA that target HIV treatment and prevention outcomes, while assessing whether these SSIs had any secondary effects on co-occurring mental health outcomes. A systematic search of databases through August 2024 identified 21 SSIs that included HIV-related outcomes—such as intentions to test, improvements in HIV knowledge, attitudes toward HIV, PrEP uptake, and treatment engagement—and any reported mental health outcomes. Of the 21 studies analyzed, 19 focused on HIV prevention, showing significant improvements in knowledge, reduced stigma, and better self-assessment of HIV risk. The remaining two studies examined treatment-related outcomes, with some interventions like video-based programs and motivational interviews improving treatment initiation and attitudes toward adherence among AYA. Notably, only two of the 21 studies explicitly integrated mental health-related outcomes, despite nearly all interventions targeting change mechanisms common to mental health-focused interventions. Findings from this review highlight the promise of SSIs for improving HIV-related outcomes among AYA. However, to maximize their impact, future research should incorporate mental health-related outcomes into these interventions.