Abstract
BackgroundMental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety) are among the most commonly reported comorbidities of HIV. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage has increased sharply. The purposes of this prospective cohort study were to investigate the ART-related experiences and whether they were associated with mental health problems among a sample of people living with HIV undergoing ART in China.MethodsThe participants were 400 people living with HIV who had started ART for the first time in Guangzhou city. They were followed-up 1-year after ART initiation. Probable depression and moderate/severe anxiety were measured at baseline and Month 12, while experiences related to ART (e.g., side effects and regained self-confidence) were measured at Month 6. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore the associations between baseline characteristics, ART-related experiences and mental health status.ResultsAmong the 300 participants (75.0%) who completed all three surveys, a significant decline in prevalence of probable depression (23.0% at baseline vs. 14.0% at Month 12, P = 0.002) and moderate/severe anxiety (14.7% at baseline vs. 8.7% at Month 12, P = 0.023) was observed during the follow-up period. After adjustment for mental health status and potential confounders at baseline, a number of ART-related experiences at Month 6 were associated with probable depression and/or moderate/severe anxiety measured at Month 12. Improved physical health, relationships with sexual partners, and self-confidence were associated with decreased mental health issues, while the side effects of ART, AIDS-related symptoms, and inconvenience in daily life due to ART use were associated with increased mental health issues.ConclusionsART-related experiences were associated with mental health problems, tailored mental health promotion interventions targeting these experiences are needed.
Highlights
Mental health problems are among the most commonly reported comorbidities of HIV
Associations between baseline characteristics and probable depression and moderate/severe anxiety measured at Month 12 were described by the odds ratio (OR) obtained from univariate logistic regression models
To test whether Antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related experiences measured at Month 6 were associated with future mental health problems, both univariate and adjusted logistic regression models were applied, adjusted for baseline variables with P < 0.1, plus baseline mental health status
Summary
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage has increased sharply The purposes of this prospective cohort study were to investigate the ART-related experiences and whether they were associated with mental health problems among a sample of people living with HIV undergoing ART in China. Mental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety) are among the most commonly reported comorbidities of HIV [9,10,11], affecting quality of life and wellbeing among PLWH [12, 13]. In China, the prevalence of depression was reported as about 40% among PLWH on ART [20, 21] Given these findings, the prevention and treatment of mental health problems may be an important element of HIV treatment and care.
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