Abstract

UNAIDS' HIV treatment targets require that 90% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) achieve viral suppression and 90% of people with viral suppression have good health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aimed to examine the association of depression and antidepressant therapy with ART adherence and HRQOL in HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). From 2018 through 2020, HIV-infected MSMs were consecutively recruited (N = 565) for the evaluation of ART adherence and HRQOL at Taipei City Hospital HIV clinics. Non-adherence to ART was defined as a Medication Adherence Report Scale score of < 23. HRQOL in PLWHHA was evaluated using WHOQOL-BREF, Taiwan version. Overall, 14.0% had depression and 12.4% exhibited non-adherence to ART. The nonadherence proportion was 21.8% and 10.5% in depressed and nondepressed HIV-infected MSM, respectively. After adjusting for other covariates, depression was associated with a higher risk of nonadherence to ART (adjusted odds ratio = 2.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-4.00). Physical, psychological, social, and environmental HRQOL were significantly negatively associated with depression. Considering antidepressant therapy, ART nonadherence was significantly associated with depression without antidepressant therapy but not with antidepressant therapy. The depressed HIV-infected MSM without antidepressant therapy had worse psychological, social, and environmental HRQOL than those with antidepressant therapy. Our study suggests that depression is associated with poor ART adherence and HRQOL, particularly in those without antidepressant therapy. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of depression should be provided for PLWHA to improve their ART adherence and HRQOL.

Highlights

  • As of 2019, there were 38 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) worldwide [1]

  • Our study suggests that depression is associated with poor antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), in those without antidepressant therapy

  • Physical, psychological, social, and environmental HRQOL in HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) was negatively associated with depression

Read more

Summary

Introduction

As of 2019, there were 38 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) worldwide [1]. With the widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART), PLWHA are living longer [2] and have more neuropsychiatric comorbidities [3]. Depression is the most common neuropsychiatric comorbidity in PLWHA and it can occur in all phases of the infection [4]. To achieve viral suppression in PLWHA, adherence to ART plays an important role in determining the treatment success [7]. Poor adherence to ART in PLWHA increases the risk of death [9] and results in the transmission of HIV to others in the absence of condom usage or pre-exposure prophylaxis [10]

Objectives
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call