HIV/AIDS and Depression: When Two Conditions Coincide – Prevalence and Associated Factors.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Depression is the most common mental illness among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). While depression is common among other chronic illnesses, it is expected to be more with HIV/AIDS, which is a more stressful state. Thus, in this study, we tried to estimate the prevalence of depression along with its associated factors in people with HIV/AIDS. Method: This cross-sectional study was done at one ART Centre in North India. Over a period of one year, HIV/AIDS patients taking antiretroviral therapy were interviewed, estimating depression with PHQ-9. Using multivariate logistic regression, we examined the association of various factors with depression among HIV patients. Results: We observed that 16% of PLHA suffered from depression, while 3% had moderate and moderately severe depression. Among the factors associated with depression, we found alcohol consumption [OR 2.553; 95%CI 1.180 - 5.526], lower CD4 cell counts [OR 2.630; 95%CI 1.297 - 5.330], side effects from ART [OR 2.442; 95%CI 1.302 - 4.577], unsatisfaction from family support [OR 2.683; 95%CI 1.334 - 5.394] and no improvement from ART [OR 0.412; 95%CI 0.190 - 0.896] to be individually and significantly associated. Conclusion: Higher prevalence of depression among HIV/AIDS patients and its association with various factors should worry policymakers, prompting them to take necessary action.