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Depression and antidepressant use among people living with HIV in Hawaii: focus on Native Hawaiians

Timothy R Juday1, Suzanne M Richmond-Crumm

  • 1University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Public Health Sciences and Epidemiology, 1960 East-West Road Biomed D104F, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. juday@hawaii.edu

Hawaii Medical Journal
|June 1, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Depression is common in people with HIV, but Native Hawaiians showed lower rates. Antidepressant use was similar across racial groups in this study of HIV-positive individuals in Hawaii.

Area of Science:

  • Medical research
  • Public health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Depression prevalence and antidepressant use are understudied in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population.
  • Limited data exists specifically for HIV-positive Native Hawaiians regarding mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of depression and antidepressant use among clients in Hawaii's HIV Seropositivity and Medical Management Program.
  • To examine racial and ethnic variations in depression rates and antidepressant use within this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study analyzing data from 1016 clients in Hawaii's HIV program between 2001-2002.
  • Data collection included self-reported depression status and antidepressant use.

Main Results:

  • 30% of clients reported experiencing depression.
  • Half of the clients reported current antidepressant use.
  • Native Hawaiians exhibited the lowest depression rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups.
  • Antidepressant usage did not significantly differ across racial or ethnic categories.

Conclusions:

  • Depression affects a significant portion of the HIV-positive population in Hawaii.
  • While Native Hawaiians had lower depression rates, overall antidepressant use was consistent across diverse groups.
  • Further research is needed to understand the specific mental health needs and disparities within the HIV-positive community, particularly among Native Hawaiians.

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