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. 2021 Aug;25(8):2391-2399.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-021-03201-3. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Mental Health, Coping, and Social Support Among People Living with HIV in the Americas: A Comparative Study Between Argentina and the USA During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Deborah L Jones  1 , Jamile Ballivian  2 , Violeta J Rodriguez  1   3 , Claudia Uribe  4 , Diego Cecchini  2 , Ana S Salazar  4 , Isabel Cassetti  2 , Maria L Alcaide  5
Affiliations

Mental Health, Coping, and Social Support Among People Living with HIV in the Americas: A Comparative Study Between Argentina and the USA During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Deborah L Jones et al. AIDS Behav. 2021 Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a risk to mental health and may disproportionately affect people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the interaction of social support and resilient coping in predicting depressive symptoms among PLWH. PLWH residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Miami, Florida (US) were asked to complete an anonymous survey on the impact of COVID-19. Statistical analysis included ordinary least squares regression. A total of 1,554 participants were included. Mean age was 47.30 years; 63.70% were men. A test of three-way interaction of social support × resilient coping × study site indicated differences by site (b = -0.63, p = 0.04, 95%CI [-1.24, -0.02]). In Argentina, higher levels of social support and resilient coping were associated with lower depressive symptoms. Lower levels of social support and resilient coping were associated with higher depressive symptoms. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health illustrates the need for developing innovative strategies to support resilience and to enhance coping with stress and adversity among PLWH.

La pandemia de COVID-19 presenta riesgos importantes para la salud mental y puede afectar desproporcionadamente a personas con VIH. Este estudio examinó el efecto entre el apoyo social y la resiliencia para afrontar situaciones difíciles en predecir síntomas depresivos en personas con VIH. Personas con VIH residentes de Buenos Aires (Argentina) y Miami, Florida (EE.UU) completaron una encuesta anónima sobre el impacto del COVID-19. El análisis estadístico incluyó un modelo clásico de regresión lineal con mínimos cuadrados ordinarios. Se incluyeron 1554 participantes. La edad promedio fue 47.30 años y 63.7% eran hombres. La prueba de interacción de apoyo social × resiliencia para hacer frente a situaciones difíciles × país indicó diferencias entre países (b = −0.63, p = 0.043, IC 95% [1.24, −0.02]). En Argentina, los participantes con mayor apoyo social y resiliencia para hacer frente a situaciones difíciles mostraron síntomas depresivos más bajos; y aquellos con menor apoyo social y resiliencia para hacer frente a situaciones difíciles, mostraron síntomas depresivos más altos. Este efecto no se observó en los participantes de Miami. El impacto de COVID-19 en la salud mental en personas con VIH ilustra la necesidad de desarrollar estrategias innovadoras para apoyar la resiliencia y mejorar el enfrentamiento del estrés y la adversidad.

Keywords: COVID-19; HIV; Mental health; Psychosocial burden.

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Conflict of interest statement

MLA is currently receiving a grant (#P30AI073961) from the Miami Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). DLJ is currently recieiving a grant (#P30MH116867) from the Clinic HIV/AIDS Registry of Miami (CHARMS). VJR was supported by a Ford Foundation Fellowship. For the remaining authors no competing interests were declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interaction of social support, resilient coping, and study site predicting depressive symptoms during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The y-axis represents depressive symptoms. The x-axis (social support) represents ± 1 SD above/below the mean. Different colors represent different ± 1 SD levels of coping (blue = -1 SD below the mean; red = mean; green =  + 1 SD above the mean). A test of three-way interaction of social support x resilient coping × x study site was significant, b = -0.63, p = .043, 95% CI [-1.24, -0.02]. In Argentina, but not in the US, at high levels of social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were the lowest. At low levels of social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were the highest
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