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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Depressive symptoms among HIV-positive pregnant women in Thailand
Ratchneewan Ross1, Wilaiphan Sawatphanit, Richard Zeller
1College of Nursing, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44221, USA. rross1@kent.edu
Purpose:
To examine predictors of depressive symptoms among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive, pregnant women in Thailand.
Design:
Correlational, cross-sectional study.
Methods:
Data were collected at prenatal clinics in five hospitals in Thailand from January 2004 to January 2006. One hundred twenty-seven HIV-positive pregnant women completed questionnaires in Thai on depressive symptoms, self-esteem, emotional support, physical symptoms, and demographics. Simultaneous multiple regression was used to analyze predictors of depressive symptoms.
Findings:
Seventy-eight percent of the 127 participants reported depressive symptoms to some degree. Physical symptoms (beta= .192, p<.05) were positively associated with depressive symptoms, but self-esteem (beta=-.442, p<.001), emotional support (beta=-.193, p<.01), and financial status (beta=-.209, p<.01) were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
The study results have added new knowledge about depressive symptoms and their predictors in HIV-positive pregnant women in Thailand.
Clinical Relevance:
Depressive symptoms have been associated with faster progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among HIV-positive individuals. The high rate of depression in our study suggests that HIV-positive pregnant women in Thailand should all be screened for depressive symptoms. Causes of physical symptoms should be identified and treated. Emotional support and self-esteem should be strengthened for HIV-positive pregnant Thai women.
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