Suicidality and clinical correlates in Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV infection

ABSTRACT

Little is known about suicidality in Chinese men who has sex with men (MSM) infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study investigated suicidality and its clinical correlates in Chinese MSM with HIV infection. Suicidality, demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed in 410 MSM with HIV infection consecutively recruited from a public HIV clinic in China. The prevalence of suicidality was 10.7% in Chinese HIV-infected MSM. Compared with those without suicidality, MSM with suicidality were more likely to be younger, unmarried and unemployed, and have more frequent insomnia, lower CD4 lymphocyte counts, and higher GAD-7 and CSE-D total scores. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that suicidality was independently associated with unemployment (p = 0.03, OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1–0.9), age (p < 0.01, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.8–0.9), CD4 lymphocyte counts (p = 0.02, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.9–1.0), and the GAD-7 total score (p < 0.001, OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.5). Suicidality is common in Chinese MSM with HIV infection. There is an urgent need to develop comprehensive suicide prevention program and mental health services for this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Suicidality
• human immunodeficiency virus
• men who have sex with men
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the University of Macau [SRG2014-00019-FHS; MYRG2015-00230-FHS; MYRG2016-00005-FHS]. The University of Macau had no role in the study design, generating or interpreting the results and publication of the study.