Longitudinal trajectory of the association between quality of life and depression among people living with HIV in China: a mixed effects model

ABSTRACT

Although depression has been associated with low QOL, limited research has quantified the change of depression to improvement of QOL among naïve PLHIV using ART in Shanghai, China. This study examined the association between depression symptoms and QOL among Chinese PLWH in a six-month longitudinal study. Data were collected from 111 people living with HIV at baseline, 3rd month and 6^th month after initiating ART, using the WHOQOL-HIV BREF and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and analyzed using a mixed effects model. QOL is improved after initiating ART, while the symptoms of depression did not decrease significantly. The depression symptoms were strong and negatively associated with QOL and all domains of QOL, and the strength of this association decreased over time in the six months follow-up. ART had different impacts on depression symptoms and QOL. Besides, depression symptoms were strong and negatively associated with QOL among PLHIV over time. Mental health practitioners and nurses should consider the ART and time factors when designed interventions to improve QOL by targeting depression symptoms. Interventions designed to improve QOL and depression symptoms should be developed targeting both ART and self-management among PLHIV.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• depression
• quality of life
• longitudinal trajectory
• China

Acknowledgments

In this collaboration, Wei-Ti Chen and Hongzhou Lu are responsible for designing, guiding, organizing and planning this study. Wenxiu Sun is responsible for data collection, analysis and manuscript writing. Feifei Huang and Chengshi Shiu are responsible for quantitative data analysis. Ling Zhang are responsible for organizing this study. We gratefully acknowledge all the study participants; without them, it would not have been possible to complete this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical conduct of research

This research was approved by the Shanghai public health clinical center (2015-S043-01).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Shanghai Clinical Key Discipline Construction Project: [Grant Number No. shslczdzk01102; PI: Hongzhou Lu]; NINR: [Grant Number K23NR14107; PI: Chen, Wei-Ti]; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center: [Grant Number No. KY-GW-2019-52; PI: Wenxiu Sun]; NIMH: [Grant Number No. P30MH058107; PI: Shoptaw, Steven J., and No. R25MH087217]; FIC: [Grant Number R21TW011277; PI: Chen, Wei-Ti]; NIMHD: [Grant Number R03MD012210; PI: Chen, Wei-Ti]. The contents of this article are solely the views of the authors and do not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.