Background: Children with perinatally acquired HIV, growing into adolescence, go through a period of change during which adherence to antiretroviral therapy can decrease, and mental health disorders are most often diagnosed for the first time.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of depressive disorders and factors associated with virologic failure in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV under care at a tertiary hospital in Northeast Thailand.

Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted between June 2017 and October 2018 at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. Participants with perinatally acquired HIV aged 12 to 24 years old who disclosed their HIV status and had been taking antiretroviral therapy for at least one year were interviewed by the psychiatrist, using DSM-5 criteria of depressive disorders. The diagnosis was made concurrently with psychiatric interventions in those who met indications for treatment. Virologic failure was defined as plasma HIV-1 RNA greater than 1,000 copies/mL. Factors associated with virologic failure were evaluated by univariable and multivariable analyses.

Results: Seventy-nine participants were enrolled. Their median age was 17.5 years old, with an interquartile range of 14.9 to 18.9, and 57% were female. Nine had virologic failure and 14 (17.7%) were diagnosed with depressive disorders. On multivariable analysis, depressive disorders were associated with virologic failure (adjusted odds ratio 7.55, 95% CI 1.65 to 34.65).

Conclusion: The prevalence of depressive disorders in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV was 17.7%. Depressive disorders were found to be one of the factors associated with virologic failure.

Keywords: Depressive disorders; Adolescents; Perinatally acquired HIV; Virologic failure

DOI: 10.35755/jmedassocthai.2022.04.13298

Received 15 September 2021 | Revised 23 March 2022 | Accepted 29 March 2022