Abstract:
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 intervieweradministered
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.
