Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39915535›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

The association of HIV status and depressive symptoms in the Ndlovu Cohort study.

Li Xiang Y den Boer, Karine Scheuermaier, Hugo A Tempelman, Roos E Barth, Walter L J M Devillé, Roel A Coutinho, Diederick E Grobbee, Francois Venter, Alinda G Vos-Seda, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Li Xiang Y den BoerJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0002-7071-3404
Karine ScheuermaierSchool of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-3397-543X
Hugo A TempelmanNdlovu Care Group, Groblersdal, South Africa.
Roos E BarthDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0123-3434
Walter L J M DevilléJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9854-1718
Roel A CoutinhoJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Diederick E GrobbeeJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4472-4468
Francois VenterEzintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-4157-732X
Alinda G Vos-SedaJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-9551-6223
Kerstin Klipstein-GrobuschJulius Global Health, Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. k.klipstein-grobusch@umcutrecht.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-5462-9889

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

HIV majorly contributes to the disease burden in South Africa. Depressive symptoms are common in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Few studies compared depressive symptoms between PLHIV and those without HIV. The aim of the study was to examine the association of HIV status and depressive symptoms. Moreover, the study aimed to explore the comparison between HIV-negative participants and the different HIV-positive sub-groups regarding their depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among PLHIV and HIV-negative participants in rural South Africa, using the baseline data of the Ndlovu Cohort study. Data was collected on demographics, socioeconomic status, and depressive symptoms using the PHQ-9 questionnaire. A score of 10 and above indicated depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis on the relationship between HIV status and depressive symptoms was used while adjusting for age, sex, level of education, employment status, income, and ever smoking. The study included 1,927 participants; 46% were PLHIV and 239 (12.5%) had depressive symptoms. PLHIV were more likely to have depressive symptoms than HIV-negative participants (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.01-1.77). This association was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounders (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.92-1.63). Compared to HIV-negative participants, ART (antiretroviral treatment) naïve participants had statistically significant higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.20-2.78). This association remained after adjusting for confounders (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.11-2.61). There was no statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms between HIV-negative participants and those on ART, regardless of treatment regimen. In general, higher odds of depressive symptoms in ART-naïve PLHIV could reflect poor coping with diagnosis of HIV. Future research to investigate the relation between ART regimen and depressive symptoms, to establish causality and to identify changes over time, is warranted.

Indexed as

DepressionHIV InfectionsAdultCohort StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSouth AfricaSurveys and QuestionnairesAntiretroviral therapy (ART)Depressive symptomsHIV statusSub-saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID39915535
PMCPMC11803091

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.