article · Annals of General Psychiatry
A study conducted in four public hospitals in central Ethiopia investigated the frequency and drivers of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among people living with HIV who attended antiretroviral therapy clinics. Among 326 interviewed participants, 16 percent reported having suicidal thoughts, and 7.1 percent reported having attempted suicide. Statistical analysis identified several shared and distinct risk factors. Suicidal ideation was significantly linked to low monthly income, living alone, prior suicidal thoughts before learning of seropositive status, a family history of suicide, symptoms of depression and anxiety, being gossiped about due to HIV status, and khat use. Suicide attempts were significantly associated with low income, depression and anxiety symptoms, current alcohol use, and experiencing gossip. Overall, these rates exceed those typical of the general population, showing that suicidal behaviour is a substantial mental health challenge requiring close clinical attention.
Suicidal behaviour among people living with HIV impairs quality of life and leads to poor adherence to life-saving antiretroviral therapy. By establishing local prevalence and highlighting contributing factors, such as economic hardship, social stigma, and co-occurring mental health conditions, this research emphasises the urgent necessity of incorporating targeted mental health screenings and support services into standard HIV care programmes.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
BACKGROUND: Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. HIV/AIDS continues to be associated with an under-recognized risk for suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS is not only a predictor of future attempted suicide and completed suicide, but it is also associated with poor quality of life and poor adherence with antiretroviral therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in selected public hospitals of Amhara region, central Ethiopia. METHODS: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed. The study was conducted in four public hospitals in North Shewa Zone from May to December 2017. Study population comprised all HIV-infected individuals from Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic. A total of 348 study subjects were recruited using systematic random sampling and 326 completed the interview. Suicidality module from Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was modified to assess suicidal behavior. Crude and adjusted OR was analyzed using logistic regression and the level of significance of association was determined at P value < 0.05. RESULT: A total of 326 (93.7%) study subjects were interviewed. The magnitude of suicidal ideation and attempt was found to be 16% and 7.1%, respectively. Low monthly income, living alone, suicidal thought before knowing seropositive status, family history of suicide, experiencing mild and moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety symptoms, being gossiped sometimes in the last 12 months of the study period due to HIV status and ever use of khat (a psychoactive substance) was statistically significant associated factor with suicidal ideation. And low monthly income, experiencing mild and moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety symptoms, being gossiped sometimes and often in the previous 12 months of the study period due to HIV status and using alcohol currently were significantly associated factors with suicidal attempt. CONCLUSION: Suicidal ideation and attempt among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in this study were higher than prevalence in the general population. This shows suicidal ideation and attempt is a mental health concern of PLWHA and it needs great attention in Ethiopia.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1186/s12991-021-00335-5
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
