Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Duke Scholarly Works
  • Scholarly Articles
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Duke Scholarly Works
  • Scholarly Articles
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Mental Health and Substance Use Among Patients in a North Carolina HIV Clinic.

Thumbnail
View / Download
135.9 Kb
Date
2015-07
Author
Sikkema, KJ
Repository Usage Stats
822
views
339
downloads
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a significant public health concern in North Carolina, and previous research has pointed to elevated mental health distress and substance use among HIV-infected populations, which may impact patients' adherence to medications. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of mental health and substance use issues among patients of a North Carolina HIV clinic, to examine differences by demographic characteristics, and to examine factors associated with suboptimal adherence to HIV medications. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of clinical data routinely collected through a health behavior questionnaire at a large HIV clinic in North Carolina. We analyzed data collected from February 2011 to August 2012. RESULTS: The sample included 1,398 patients. Overall, 12.2% of patients endorsed current symptomology indicative of moderate or severe levels of depression, and 38.6% reported receiving a psychiatric diagnosis at some point in their life. Additionally, 19.1% had indications of current problematic drinking, and 8.2% reported problematic drug use. Nearly one-quarter (22.1%) reported suboptimal adherence to HIV medications. Factors associated with poor adherence included racial/ethnic minority, age less than 35 years, and indications of moderate or severe depression. LIMITATIONS: The questionnaire was not completed systematically in the clinic, which may limit generalizability, and self-reported measures may have introduced social desirability bias. CONCLUSION: Patients were willing to disclose mental health distress, substance use, and suboptimal medication adherence to providers, which highlights the importance of routinely assessing these behaviors during clinic visits. Our findings suggest that treating depression may be an effective strategy to improve adherence to HIV medications.
Type
Journal article
Subject
Adolescent
Adult
Anti-HIV Agents
Depression
Female
HIV Infections
Humans
Male
Medication Adherence
Mental Disorders
Mental Health
Middle Aged
North Carolina
Prevalence
Substance-Related Disorders
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10742
Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.18043/ncm.76.3.148
Publication Info
Sikkema, KJ (2015). Mental Health and Substance Use Among Patients in a North Carolina HIV Clinic. N C Med J, 76(3). pp. 148-155. 10.18043/ncm.76.3.148. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10742.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
  • Scholarly Articles
More Info
Show full item record

Scholars@Duke

Sikkema

Kathleen J. Sikkema

Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Kathleen J. Sikkema, Ph.D., Gosnell Family Professor of Global Health, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, is a clinical psychologist with emphases in health and community psychology. She is the Director of Doctoral Studies at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), Director of the Social and Behavioral Science Core in Duke's Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), an
Open Access

Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy

Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University