Study: High prevalence of depression found among people living with HIV in Nigeria

Background and objectives

Depression can lead to poor outcomes during antiretroviral therapy, and current evidence suggests high rates of depression among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), especially in low-and middle-income countries. This study was designed to investigate the sociodemographic factors associated with depression among PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy in a Nigerian cosmopolitan city.

Methods

A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 592 consenting, randomly selected adult PLHIV receiving treatment at a university teaching hospital in Jos, Nigeria, in 2022, using the PHQ-9 questionnaire and an interviewer-administered sociodemographic questionnaire. Associated variables in univariate analysis were used in multivariable binary logistic regression to obtain adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with a significance level set at α = 0.05.

Results

Depression was found to be highly prevalent among study participants, with 44.9% of them affected. Findings revealed that being male [AOR = 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42–0.92], being employed (AOR = 0.55; 95%CI: 0.31–0.97), and earning a monthly income of ₦50,000–100,000 ($65–130) (AOR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27–0.91) and >₦100,000–200,000(>$130–260) (AOR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13–0.77) were significantly associated with reduced odds of depression.

Conclusions

The significant association of being male, having formal employment, and earning a moderate monthly income with reduced odds of depression may have implications for policy and strategies for managing mental health issues among PLHIV in cosmopolitan areas like Jos, which face peculiar challenges such as cultural tensions, traffic congestion, and gentrification. PLHIV categories with a relatively higher likelihood of depression may benefit from targeted mental health support systems, in addition to other mental health management strategies generally available to PLHIV.