ArticleBritish journal of health psychology2025
Post-treatment life-trajectories among people who inject drugs who completed hepatitis C treatment with direct acting antivirals: A thematic analysis.
Article in British journal of health psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Post-treatment life-trajectories among people who inject drugs who completed hepatitis C treatment with direct acting antivirals: A thematic analysis.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHepatitis C Virus is a global health burden, particularly affecting people who inject drugs. Direct-acting antiviral treatment can cure almost all people infected with hepatitis C. However, the longer-term impacts on within people's life trajectories are unknown, although some suggest it may lead to fundamental behavioural changes.
designA cross-sectional exploratory retrospective qualitative design.
methodsWe interviewed 30 people who inject(ed) drugs and who had previously been treated with direct-acting antivirals on average 18 months before the interview (range: 12-24 months). Most were male, aged 36-55 years, and had been treated in urban community-based needle and syringe programmes in Scotland. All interviews were semi-structured, conducted over the phone by either peer or academic researchers, and analysed thematically.
resultsWe present three discernible post-treatment life-trajectories. Firstly, 'A cure that was like totally new life' involved identity transformation, often associated with controlled or zero drug use, and improved physical and mental health. Secondly, 'There isn't much afterwards' comprised poor quality of life and social isolation, often due to participants' disengagement from former drug use and support networks. Thirdly, 'I'm getting tested every year now' detailed a few life changes but normalized hepatitis C testing and treatment.
conclusionOur thematic analysis reinforces the positive impacts on mental well-being, physical health and self-transformation of direct-acting antiviral treatment in the short- and long-term. However, there is an urgent need for psychosocial interventions to maintain health behaviour changes and self-management, and social support for individuals post hepatitis C treatment.
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