Use your browser's BACK button to return to your page of origin.
Psychosocial and behavioral correlates of depression among
HIV-infected pregnant women.
AIDS Patient Care and STDs 2004;18(7):405-415.
Blaney NT, Fernandez I, Ethier KA, Wilson TE, Walter E, Koenig LJ,
for the Perinatal Guidelines Evaluation Project Group.
Abstract
This study addressed two aims: (1) to assess the level of depressive symptoms
among pregnant, HIV-infected racial and ethnic minority women and (2) to
identify potentially modifiable factors associated with prenatal depression
in order to foster proactive clinical screening and intervention for these
women. Baseline interview data collected from HIV-infected women participating
in the Perinatal Guidelines Evaluation Project were analyzed. Participants
were from prenatal clinics in four areas representative of the U. S. HIV/AIDS
epidemic among women. Of the final sample (n = 307), 280 were minorities
(218 blacks [African American and Caribbean], 62 Hispanic). Standardized
interviews assessed potential psychosocial factors associated with pregnancy-related
depression and psychological distress (life stressors, inadequate social
support, and ineffective coping skills) in a population for whom little work
has been done. Depressive symptomatology was considerable, despite excluding
somatic items in order to avoid confounding from prenatal or HIV-related
physical symptoms. The psychosocial factors significantly predicted the level
of prenatal depressive symptoms beyond the effects of demographic and health-related
factors. Perceived stress, social isolation, and disengagement coping were
associated with greater depression, positive partner support with lower depression.
These findings demonstrate that psychosocial and behavioral factors amenable
to clinical intervention are associated with prenatal depression among women
of color with HIV. Routine screening to identify those currently depressed
or at risk for depression should be integrated into prenatal HIV-care settings
to target issues most needing intervention.
.
