Psychosocial factors influencing treatment adherence in Brazilian gay men living with HIV
Psychosocial factors influencing treatment adherence in Brazilian gay men living with HIV
Blog Article
Context and Aim: Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV poses a public health challenge.Although studies in developed countries emphasize the role of psychosocial factors in ART adherence, there is limited research on this 2649-20 association among Brazilian MSM living with HIV.This study examined the impact of depression, anxiety, internalized homonegativity, and HIV-related stigma on ART adherence in a sample of this population.Method: A cross-sectional study recruited 43 MSM living with HIV (Mage = 34.93, SD = 7.
90) through social media.Instruments included sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires, the Questionnaire for Assessment of Adherence to Antiretroviral dl0211 Treatment, the Beck Depression Scale, the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory, the Internalized Homophobia Scale, and the HIV Stigmatization Scale.Results: Twelve participants (27.9%) showed inadequate ART adherence, and 18 (41.8%) reported signs and symptoms of depression at clinical level.
Depression was negatively and moderately correlated with ART adherence.HIV-related stigma was positively and moderately correlated with depression, trait anxiety, and homonegativity.Depression significantly impacted ART adherence, explaining 13.4% of the variance.Conclusions: Our results highlight the need for regular depression screening and affirmative interventions to support MSM living with HIV, addressing stigma, and promoting adherence to ART.