Psychiatric disorders in adolescents living with HIV in Botswana

BACKGROUND: As children living with HIV transition from adolescence into adulthood, they face a considerable burden of psychiatric disorders (PDs) which may vary between the perinatally and behaviorally infected. The knowledge of the pattern of these PDs in relation to the varying needs of the adolescents living with HIV (ALWHIV) is unclear but necessary for maximizing their linkage to care and improving their quality of life in Botswana. AIM: To determine the pattern of PDs in ALWHIV in Botswana; to compare and explore the differences in the pattern and their associated factors between congenitally infected adolescents (CIAs) and behaviorally infected adolescents (BIAs). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 622 ALWHIV (399 CIA and 223 BIA) with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Kid Screen. RESULTS: The participants' mean age (SD) was 17.71 (1.60) years, with more males (54%), of whom 52.9% had at least one PD, with depression (23.6%) and generalised anxiety disorder (18.0%) being the most prevalent. The externalising disorders were associated with being CIA (OR = 3.99; 95% CI:1.87–8.54), male gender (OR = 3.93; 95% CI:2.02–7.64), and a viral load of 400 and above copies (OR = 3.53; 95%CI:1.92–6.48). Internalising disorders were associated with being BIA (OR = 3.64; 95%; CI: 2.39–5.56), females (OR = 2.59; 95% CI:1.75–3.83), poor counselling (OR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.42–3.51) and struggling to accept HIV status (OR = 1.73; 95% CI:1.14–2.62). CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety disorders were the most prevalent PDs in ALWHIV, who differed in psychiatric presentations, the BIAs being more likely to present with internalizing disorders, while the CIAs had more externalizing disorders. Due to the varying needs of ALWHIV, individualized management plans that consider gender, mode of infection, and other psycho-social needs, should be further studied and encouraged. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12981-022-00490-z.