Investigating the impact of a community home-based care on mental health and anti-retroviral therapy adherence in people living with HIV in Nepal: a community intervention study

Khem N Pokhrel,Masamine Jimba,Sanjeev R Neupane,Linda B Mlunde,Vidya D Sharma,Kalpana G Pokhrel,Krishna C Poudel

doi:10.1186/s12879-018-3170-1

Khem N Pokhrel, Masamine Jimba + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-018-3170-1

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Abstract

BackgroundHIV-positive people often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use when the disease progresses. In resource limited settings, mental health services are not integrated into HIV services. In Nepal, HIV-positive people do receive psychosocial support and other basic health care services from a community home-based care intervention; however, the effects of the intervention on health outcomes is not yet known. Therefore, we examined the impact of the intervention on mental health and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence.MethodsWe conducted an intervention study to identify the effects of a community home-based care intervention on mental health disorders, substance use, and non-adherence to ART among HIV-positive people in Nepal from March to August 2015. In total, 344 participated in the intervention and another 338 were in the control group. The intervention was comprised of home-based psychosocial support and peer counseling, adherence support, basic health care, and referral services. We measured the participants’ depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, and non-adherence to ART. We applied a generalized estimating equation to examine the effects of intervention on health outcomes.ResultsThe intervention had positive effects in reducing depressive symptoms [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.44, p < 0.001)], anxiety (AOR = 0.54, p = 0.014), stress (β = − 3.98, p < 0.001), substance use (AOR = 0.51, p = 0.005), and non-adherence to ART (AOR = 0.62, p = 0.025) among its participants at six-month follow-up.ConclusionsThe intervention was effective in reducing mental health disorders, substance use, and non-adherence to ART among HIV-positive people. Community home-based care intervention can be applied in resource limited setting to improve the mental health of the HIV-positive people. Such intervention should be targeted to include more HIV-positive people in order to improve their ART adherence.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03505866, Released Date: April 20, 2018.

Highlights

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive people often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use when the disease progresses
This study revealed for the first time the positive roles of a community home-based care intervention to reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress levels of its participants after 6 months of follow-up in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
The intervention was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, anxiety, and the stress levels of its participants after the six-month follow-up

Summary

Introduction

HIV-positive people often experience mental health disorders and engage in substance use when the disease progresses. Many of them frequently experience various mental health disorders and engage in substance use when the HIV infection progresses [4,5,6,7] Such conditions negatively affect their adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) [8, 9]. Community-based psychosocial support may be an integral part of care and support services for HIV-positive people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address their need for psychosocial support, the World Health Organization (WHO) provided guidelines to improve these individuals’ mental health [10]. Such psychosocial support may contribute to improvements in the health and treatment outcomes of HIV-positive people [11]

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