High Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders in Adolescents and Youth Living with HIV: An Observational Study from Eight Health Services in Sofala Province, Mozambique.
Francesco Di GennaroClaudia MarottaLucy RamirezHamilton CardosoChivite AlamoVasco CinturaoDavide Fiore BavaroDezi Cornelia MahotasMarzia LazzariChenene FernandoNatalia ChimundiAndrea AtzoriIzilda ChagurucaFrancesca TognonHelga Guambe Dos AnjosGiovanna De MeneghiMireille TribieFabrizia Del GrecoEdson NamarimeEdoardo OccaGiovanni PutotoAnton PozniakAnnalisa SaracinoPublished in: AIDS patient care and STDs (2022)
Adolescent mental health (MH) is a significant global health concern, which is extremely relevant when referring to adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYHIV). In Mozambique, ∼52% of the population is <18 years and the country has the world's eighth highest HIV prevalence (insert citation). We performed an observational study to evaluate anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-drug abuse in adolescents and youth assessing health services in Sofala Province, Mozambique. From November 20, 2019, to November 20, 2021, all adolescents and youth (10-24 years) accessing one of the psychological services offered at 8 Servicios Amigos dos Adolescentes (SAAJ) of the Sofala Province were screened by a psychologist using the following standardized tools: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) for PTSD, and Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener Adapted to Include Drugs (CAGE-AID) for alcohol-drug abuse. Overall, 2108 adolescents and youth were included in the study (63% female, median age: 19 years). Of them, 1096 (52%) were HIV positive. AYHIV had higher scores at the four tools tested and for concomitant MH disorders (GAD-7, PHQ-9, PTSD-5, and CAGE). The multivariable logistic regressions showed a greater probability to be GAD-7 > 10 for women, [adjusting odds ratio (AOR): 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.10], for workers (AOR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.12-4.23) and people living with HIV (AOR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.25-2.54). Higher values of CAGE (≥2) and PTSD (≥3) seemed to be associated only with HIV-positive status (AOR: 4.87, 95% CI: 3.72-6.38 and AOR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.28-237). These data further reinforce the urgent need for a global health policy action with focused intervention on MH in AYHIV patients.
Keyphrases
- mental health
- hiv positive
- young adults
- south africa
- global health
- physical activity
- antiretroviral therapy
- men who have sex with men
- posttraumatic stress disorder
- social support
- primary care
- public health
- sleep quality
- mental illness
- depressive symptoms
- human immunodeficiency virus
- healthcare
- hiv infected
- childhood cancer
- end stage renal disease
- newly diagnosed
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- randomized controlled trial
- chronic kidney disease
- ejection fraction
- hiv aids
- high throughput
- adipose tissue
- case report
- pregnant women
- insulin resistance
- single cell
- skeletal muscle
- pregnancy outcomes
- general practice
- health insurance
- prognostic factors