Prevalence and associated factors of alexithymia among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is common and causes serious harm to people living with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, this study aimed to examine its prevalence and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two designated AIDS medical institutions in Harbin, China between January and December 2019. In total, 767 participants completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness short-form, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the HIV Treatment Regimen Fatigue Scale, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‐Consumption. The participants responded to several questions regarding their demographic characteristics, life satisfaction, disease-related economic burden, and their antiretroviral therapy (ART) side effects. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the relationship between alexithymia and associated factors. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for OR were calculated. RESULTS: Approximately 36.1% of the participants were classified as having alexithymia. After adjusted age and education, the logistic regression model indicated that disease-related economic burden (OR = 1.477, 95% CI = 1.155–1.888), ART side effects (OR = 1.249, 95% CI = 1.001–1.559), loneliness (OR = 1.166, 95% CI = 1.101–1.236), and HIV treatment regimen fatigue (OR = 1.028, 95% CI = 1.017–1.039) were positively associated with alexithymia. CONCLUSIONS: The mental health problems of people living with HIV/AIDS are essential to understand and deserve attention. Disease-related economic burdens are major associated factors. Multiple actors should provide better services and guarantees for patients.