Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Stigma and Mental Health in HIV: Cross-Sectional

The following is a summary of the “Stigma and mental health among people living with HIV across the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Gennaro et al.

Despite improved lifespan with antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) experience high rates of mental health (MH) issues, highlighting a need for more vital support.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing mental disorders (MD) prevalence among PLWH seen at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the University of Bari, Italy.

They provided standardized tools (HAM-A for anxiety, BDI-II for depression, PC-PTSD-5 for post-traumatic stress disorder, and CAGE-AID for alcohol-drug abuse) to all patients with PLWH accessing outpatient clinics (January 10th to September 10th, 2022). Using a multivariable logistic regression model, they examined factors linked to testing positive for the four MDs.

The results showed that of 1,110 patients with HIV, 578 (52.1%) underwent MH screening, with 24.4% (141 patients) testing positive for at least one MD. Positive tests included HAM-A (15.8%, n=91), BDI-II (18%, n=104), PC-PTSD-5 (5%, n=29), and CAGE (6.1%, n=35). Furthermore, the severe stigma, social isolation, psychological decline during COVID-19, and dolutegravir (DTG) based therapy lead to a higher chance of anxiety, depression, and PTSD diagnoses in PLWH. Finally, identified a connection between a history of drug use (OR 1.13), family stigma (OR 2.42), social isolation (OR 2.72), and a heightened risk for substance use disorder.

Investigators concluded that stigma predicted MH diagnoses in PLWH and suggested monitoring MH and considering DTG as a potential risk factor for PLWH on DTG-containing regimens.

Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09315-y