AFISE Personality Factors, Depression and Adherence
Personality Factors, Depression and Adherence among
HIV Infected Adult Patients Enrolled in Constanta, Romania
Objective Treatment adherence is one of the main variables that influences health outcomes of PLWH.
Methods Measurements – Personality tests: Variables: Sample:
CognitRom Battery for personality traits optimism, HIV positive patients
Hamilton Depression Inventory decisional ability Males and females
Adherence questionnaire CEAT-VIH-Ro
(Romanian form). autonomy Enrolled at the Baylor HIV clinic
in Constanta, Romania
We aimed to assess if depression and personality influence adherence behavior among our adult patients in order to decide if
a cohort wide screening of the above variables would be valuable for early detection of adherence problems at the HIV clinic
in Constanta, Romania.
Analysis
SPSS v24 was used to analyze data and individual
results were shared with patients and were used
as part of usual care in the clinic setting.
Results
emotional stability
No compensation provided to
patients
depression
demographics
Demographics Medical information
60 HIV positive patients, 50% women, 32% from rural, Median treatment duration 12 years
60% not parents, 76% with undetectable VL
37% living in nuclear families/ 50% extended families 27% non-adherent based on self report
22% employed 83 % currently not taking other medication than ART
71 % unemployed (but with social benefits)
Depression Impact of Unemployment
3.6 % prevalence of depressive symptomatology Unemployed patients report more depressive symptoms
than the ones that work occasionally or that are fully
employed (F 4.209, sig 0.04)
Women reporting more symptoms than men ( F= 11.447,
sig .002)
However no association between depression and
adherence in our sample
Significantly lower optimism, autonomy (sig .013) and emotional
stability (sig .003) levels among unemployed (sig .001)
No association with adherence behaviour
Mean depression levels per gender
Unemployment and personality traits
Optimism Level
Emotional Stability
Personal Autonomy
100
12.50
80
60
7.50
10.00
5.00
40
2.50
.00
20
Male
Female
0
Sex
Adherence
Other personality factors were not associated with
adherence in our sample
Cognitive autonomy levels per adherence group
60
Cognitive autonomy (the ability to take decisions
independently and to keep one’s point of view Page regardless
2
of social pressure – correlated with critical thinking) and
adherence were significantly associated (sig .00)
Employed
Occupational Status
Error bars: 95% CI
Patients having more than 2 children were more likely to
be non-adherent compared with those that did not have
children (sig .018) or had less than two children
Unemployed
55
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50
45
non-adherent
adherent
ADHbinar
Error bars: 95% CI
Conclusions
Authors
A.-M. Schweitzer 1 , G. Bazaitu 1 , M. Calin 2 , L. Giurgiu 2 , L. Vlahopol 1
Institutes:
1 Fundatia Baylor Marea Neagra, Constanta, Romania,
2 Universitatea Ovidius, Psychology and Social Work, Constanta, Romania
Screening for depression is not indicative for potential non- Also, the number of children in care of correlates with non-
adherence in our group and it is not needed in our context.
adherence, possibly due to overlapping responsibilities,
and it should be considered as a risk factor.
We have found that cognitive autonomy is correlated with
self-reported adherence. We recommend inclusion of this
screening test for PLWH in our clinic.
Unemployment creates psychological vulnerability, but it is
not directly linked with non-adherence.
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