"I have the strength to get through this using my past experiences with HIV": findings from a mixed-method survey of health outcomes, service accessibility, and psychosocial wellbeing among people living with HIV during the Covid-19 pandemic.
AIDS Care
; 34(7): 821-827, 2022 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1416049
ABSTRACT
We examined the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the wellbeing and access to care among people living with HIV (PLWH) in the UK. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was circulated to PLWH attending care at three HIV services in Sussex. The questionnaire covered key themes socio-demographic characteristics; changes in physical and mental health; accessibility of essential health services and information; and socio-economic concerns. Free-text qualitative responses were examined through framework analysis. Quantitative data from 653 respondents were available, with a subset of 385 free-text qualitative responses. In terms of mental health, 501 (77.6%) respondents reported feeling more anxious; 464 (71.8%) reported feeling more depressed than usual; and 128 (19.8%) reported having suicidal thoughts since the start of the pandemic. Respondents worried about running out of HIV medicine (n = 264, 40.7%); accessing HIV services (n = 246, 38.0%) as well as other health services (n = 408, 63.0%). Widespread resilience was also noted 537 (83.3%) of respondents felt that living with HIV had equipped them with the strength to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings highlight important gaps between the multifaceted needs of PLWH. Multisectoral collaborations and investments are needed to adequately support PLWH and to build resilience to future shocks within HIV services.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Variants
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
AIDS Care
Journal subject:
SINDROME DA IMUNODEFICIENCIA ADQUIRIDA (AIDS)
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
09540121.2021.1975628
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