A comprehensive analysis of excess depressive disorder in women and men living with HIV in France compared to the general population

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive disorder in people living with HIV (PLWH) and evaluate its association with non-HIV-specific and HIV-specific factors in PLWH and in PLWH compared to the general population (GP). We used cross-sectional data from the QuAliV study, conducted within the ANRS-CO3 Aquitaine-AQUIVIH-NA cohort of PLWH in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (2018–2020), and a nationally-representative survey in the GP (EHIS-ESPS, 2014–2015), we included all participants aged ≥ 18 years old who had completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). Depressive disorder was defined as Patient Health Questionnaire-8 score greater or equal to 10. Its association with non-HIV-specific (demographic, socio-economic, behavioral, health status), HIV-specific factors (immuno-viral markers, antiretrovirals, level of perceived HIV-stigma), and HIV-status was assessed using Poisson regression models with robust variance in women and men separately. We included 914 PLWH (683 men/231 women). More than one in five PLWH had depressive disorder. It was strongly associated with being younger and experiencing severe pain in both sexes. Unemployment in women, being single, and lack of family ties in men were also associated with depressive disorder. More than 30% of our sample reported HIV-stigma, with a dose–response relationship between level of perceived HIV-stigma and depressive disorder. The crude prevalence of depressive disorder was 2.49 (95%CI 1.92–3.22) and 4.20 (95%CI 3.48–5.05) times higher in women and men living with HIV respectively compared to GP counterparts and 1.46 (95%CI 1.09–1.95) and 2.45 (95%CI 1.93–3.09) times higher after adjustment for non-HIV specific factors. The adjusted prevalence ratio of depressive disorder was not significantly different in HIV-stigma free women, but remained twice as high in HIV-stigma free men. The prevalence of depressive disorder compared to the GP tended to decrease with age in PLWH. Excess depressive disorder remains a major concern in PLWH. Our findings reaffirm the importance of regular screening. Tackling social inequalities and HIV-stigma should be prioritized to ensure that PLWH achieve good mental as well as physical health outcomes.