Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb;36(2):204-211.
doi: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2216006. Epub 2023 May 25.

HIV-related stigma and psychological distress in a cohort of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria

Bentley Akoko  1 , Susan Regan  2 , Ifeoma Idigbe  3 , Oliver Ezechi  3 , Leslie J Pierce  4 , Zaidat Musa  3 , Prosper Okonkwo  5 , Kenneth A Freedberg  2   6   7   8   9 , Aima A Ahonkhai  4   10
Affiliations

HIV-related stigma and psychological distress in a cohort of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria

Bentley Akoko et al. AIDS Care. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Psychological distress is increasingly recognized as a barrier to engagement in HIV care, resulting in poor HIV outcomes. HIV-related stigma is a potential driver of distress in people living with HIV (PLWH). We conducted a prospective cohort study in 288 PLWH who newly initiated ART in a Nigeria. We assessed overall stigma (range 40-160) and four stigma subtypes (personalized, disclosure, negative self-image, and public stigma) at enrollment, and assessed psychological distress at enrollment, 6, and 12-months after ART initiation. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between stigma and 12-month psychological distress. Overall stigma was high (102.34 ± 5.65) and was higher in both unmarried patients (p < 0.01) and those who had not disclosed their HIV status to anyone at enrollment (p < 0.01). Higher overall stigma (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.09) and personalized stigma (OR:1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.16) were associated with higher odds of psychological distress at 12-months. Conclusions: Overall stigma levels were high in a cohort of PLWH initiating care in Nigeria. Higher stigma was associated with psychological distress. These data support the need for integration of measures to reduce stigma and psychological distress in the care of PLWH.

Keywords: HIV; psychological distress; stigma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by any of the authors.

References

    1. Adewuya AO, Afolabi MO, Ola BA, Ogundele OA, Ajibare AO, Oladipo BF, & Fakande I (2010). The Effect of Psychological Distress on Medication Adherence in Persons With HIV Infection in Nigeria. Psychosomatics, 51(1), 68–73. 10.1016/S0033-3182(10)70661-7 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ajong AB, Njotang PN, Nghoniji NE, Essi MJ, Yakum MN, Agbor VN, & Kenfack B (2018). Quantification and factors associated with HIV-related stigma among persons living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at the HIV-day care unit of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, North West Region of Cameroon. Globalization and Health, 14. 10.1186/s12992-018-0374-5 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Albert PR (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience : JPN, 40(4), 219–221. 10.1503/jpn.150205 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allavena C, Hanf M, Rey D, Duvivier C, BaniSadr F, Poizot-Martin I, Jacomet C, Pugliese P, Delobel P, Katlama C, Joly V, Chidiac C, Dournon N, Merrien D, May T, Reynes J, Gagneux-Brunon A, Chirouze C, Huleux T, … Dat’AIDS study group. (2018). Antiretroviral exposure and comorbidities in an aging HIV-infected population: The challenge of geriatric patients. PloS One, 13(9), e0203895. 10.1371/journal.pone.0203895 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. AP News. (2023, March 21). Uganda’s legislature passes harsh new anti-LGBTQ bill. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-rights-uganda-africa-gay-rights-3b46314...

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources