Prevalence, severity, and associated factors of depression in newly diagnosed people living with HIV in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Depression is particularly common among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), with some studies showing a prevalence of depression three times higher among people living with HIV as compared to the general public. The stress associated with being diagnosed with HIV can be quite impactful, including concerns about one’s long-term health, stigma, and the burden of long-term treatment. Therefore, it is common for a new HIV diagnosis to contribute to the onset of depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of depression, and its associated factors in people diagnosed with HIV within the past 12 months. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with patients newly diagnosed with HIV at three hospitals in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania utilizing a locally validated version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a screener for depression, the Demographic Health Survey (SES-DHS8) for socio-demographic characteristics, and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ) to assess perceived social support. We enrolled 272 participants between September and December 2020, diagnosed with HIV within the past 12 months. Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc analysis were used to determine associations of sociodemographic variables with the dependent variable of depression. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of depression in our sample was 41%, including 54 participants (20%) with moderate symptoms, 42 (15%) with moderately severe symptoms, and 16 (6%) with severe symptoms. Severity was highest in participants diagnosed with HIV less than 1 month ago. An ANCOVA model (overall F = 4.72, p < 0.001) assessing factors associated with greater depression severity revealed significant effects of study site (F = 7.6, p < 0.001), female gender (F = 5.11, p = 0.02), and less time since HIV diagnosis (F = 12.3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates very high prevalence of depression among people living with HIV in this setting, particularly among those newly diagnosed, female participants, and those seen at the larger regional referral hospital. Integration of mental health screening and interventions into CTC care is vital in the first visits following a positive test result and may be tailored to meet the needs of patients at highest risk for developing symptoms of depression.