Complex Problems, Care Demands, and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV in the Antiretroviral Era in Indonesia

Abstract

People living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from physical and psychological distress that palliative care could alleviate. Our cross-sectional study identified HIV-related problems and demands for palliative care at different disease stages, and their interactions with quality of life (QOL) in 215 PLWH from a referral hospital and an AIDS nongovernmental organization in Indonesia. A brief survey of demographic information, the Bahasa version of Problems and Needs of Palliative Care, and the World Health Organization Quality of Live in HIV-infected Persons instrument (WHOQOL-HIV BREF; Cronbach's alpha = .89) were used for data collection. Mean age was 33.5 years (SD = 4.7); 66% were male. Fatigue (67%) was the most prevalent symptom, and the symptom sleeping problems (54.9%) was the priority for palliative care. Higher spiritual and financial demands were found in PLWH with stage IV HIV. Multivariable analysis indicated negative associations between QOL and psychosocial problems, and demands for social and financial support. Interventions focused on psychosocial issues would improve the QOL for PLWH.

Keywords: HIV; palliative care demands; psychological symptoms; quality of life.