Effectiveness of Friendship Bench in Alleviating Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among People Living with HIV and High-Risk Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Authors

Jiao Li, Jie Gao, Chuying Chen, Jiahong Ling, Dan Cui, Yanfen Fu

Published in

AIDS and behavior. Jul 02, 2026. Epub Jul 02, 2026.

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the Friendship Bench (FB) intervention's efficacy in relieving anxiety and depression among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and high-risk populations, explored intervention effect heterogeneity, and provided evidence for mental health-HIV care integration in resource-limited areas. Multiple databases were searched from inception to July 19, 2025; 6 RCTs (2203 participants) were included for meta-analysis via Stata 16.0. The pooled SMD was - 0.57 (95% CI: -1.41 to 0.28, I²=98.7%); PLHIV-only analyses (n = 5) showed no significant effect (SMD = 0.12, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.27, I²=0.0%). Measurement tools and population type were key sources of heterogeneity, with the DASS-21 subgroup yielding consistently non-significant results. Current evidence is insufficient to confirm FB's effectiveness, emphasizing the need for rigorous large-scale RCTs with standardized outcome measures.Clinical trial registration: This systematic review and metaanalysis has been prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (Registration number: CRD420251063331; Registration date June 3, 2025).

PMID:
42393298
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Jul 2026.

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