Original Research Article

Prevalence and Severity of Depression Among Adults Living with HIV/AIDS Accessing Care at the ART Clinic of a Tertiary Health Facility in North-Central Nigeria

Onubi J¹, Eseigbe P^2*, Agyema JPA², Adeola OA³, Elisha A³, Chima AAG², Sheyin GO⁴

¹Department of Chemical Pathology, Bingham University/Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos Nigeria
²Department of Family Medicine, Bingham University/Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos Nigeria
³Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bingham University/Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos Nigeria
⁴Infectious Disease Unit, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: trishdaniels09@gmail.com

Received: 06 August 2023  I  Accepted: 26 August 2023  I  Published: 29 August 2023  I  Article ID: MRJMMS23027
Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Abstract

Depression is a significant mental health concern globally. Among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), depressive symptoms are particularly prevalent, and this can impact the effective management of the disease. Nigeria ranks fourth in the global HIV/AIDS burden. Several factors have been associated with the development of depression among PLHIV. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of depression among PLHIV and its association with socio-demographic characteristics to enhance disease management and patient care. A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted at the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinic of Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), Jos Nigeria. Using a simple random sampling, adults living with HIV/AIDS receiving treatment at the ART clinic from September to December 2022 were recruited. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and a socio-demographic questionnaire were used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 and the level of significance was set at a p-value of 0.05. Five hundred and ninety-two (592) patients participated. There was a predominance of females (421, 71.1%). More than half (341, 57.6%) of participants were married. One hundred and ninety-four (32.8%) of them had attained a tertiary level of education. A 44.9% prevalence rate of depression was found. Participants with mild depression were 191 (32.2%), while 59 (10.0%) were moderately depressed, 12 (2.0%) had moderately severe depression, and 4 (0.7%) were severely depressed. There was a significant association between depression and the participants’ age (χ2 = 26.58, p = 0.04), gender (χ2 = 8.02, p = 0.03), occupation (χ2 = 24.04, p = 0.02), and educational level (χ2 = 28.79, p = 0.03). This study highlights the significant prevalence of depression and its severity among adults living with HIV/AIDS and identifies some socio-demographic factors associated with depression. It is therefore crucial to adequately integrate mental health care into the management program of PLHIV to curtail the menace of depression.

Keywords: Adults living with HIV/AIDS, ART Clinic, Depression, Jos-Nigeria