A study on epidemiological profile of anxiety disorders among people living with HIV/AIDS in a sub-Saharan Africa HIV clinic

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence, types and correlates of anxiety disorders among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) attending a sub-Saharan Africa HIV clinic. Three hundred HIV positive adults were subjected to semi-structured clinical interview using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry to diagnose anxiety disorders in them. Additionally, a socio-demographic/clinical profile questionnaire designed for the study was administered to the study participants. The prevalence of anxiety disorders among PLWHA in this study was 21.7 %, and anxiety disorder unspecified (6.2 %), mixed anxiety-depressive disorder (5.3 %) and social phobia (4 %) among others were the subtypes of anxiety disorders elicited among the participants. Lack of family support [correlation coefficient (r) = 0.212, P < 0.001], unemployment (r = 0.168, P = 0.004) and being unmarried (r = 0.182, P = 0.002) were much more likely to be found among participants with anxiety disorders; while younger age group (r = -0.126, P = 0.039) and negative previous mental illness (r = -0.894, P = 0.021) seem protective against anxiety disorders in this study. Our findings suggest a high burden of anxiety disorders among PLWHA and up to five-folds when compared to the general population. Thus, integration of proactive mental health screening as well as treatment services with inclusion of targeted intervention for anxiety disorders among PLWHA is recommended.