IDENTIFYING DEPRESSION AMONG THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) PATIENTS IN UNIVERSITY MALAYA MEDICAL CENTRE, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify depression among HIV- infected patients attending Infectious Disease Clinic in University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Methods: This is a cross sectional study on HIV- infected patients attending Infectious Disease Clinic, UMMC. Those who fulfilled inclusion criteria were recruited and interviewed. Socio- demographic characteristics and clinical conditions such as mode of transmission, year of diagnosis, CD4+ counts, drug treatment and clinical stage were collected. The patients were then subjected to self-administered questionnaires, Patient Health Questionnaire, (PHQ-9) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 89 patients were recruited. Scores from PHQ9 showed 32% of depression rate while scores from HADS showed 19% of depression rate among the respondents. Non-self financial supporter, non- alcoholic drinkers and females were more likely to be depressed (P 0.05). All clinical characteristics showed no statistical differences. Conclusion: The depression rate was lower compared to those from the studies in western countries. The risk factors for depression were different from those found in other studies as well