Coping Strategies and Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders Among People with HIV Initiating HIV Care in Cameroon

Abstract

Little is known about the coping strategies used among people with HIV (PWH), especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and the extent to which adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies are associated with symptoms of mental health disorders. We interviewed 426 PWH initiating HIV care in Cameroon and reported the prevalence of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, overall and by presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Log binominal regression was used to estimate the association between each type of coping strategy (adaptive or maladaptive) and symptoms of each mental health disorder, separately. Adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies were commonly reported among PWH enrolling in HIV care in Cameroon. Across all mental health disorders assessed, greater maladaptive coping was associated with higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Adaptive coping was not associated with symptoms of any of the mental health disorders assessed in bivariate or multivariable models. Our study found that PWH endorsed a range of concurrent adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Future efforts should explore the extent to which coping strategies change throughout the HIV care continuum. Interventions to reduce maladaptive coping have the potential to improve the mental health of PWH in Cameroon.

The Mediating Effect of Changes in Depression Symptoms on the Relationship between Health-Related Quality of Life and Alcohol Consumption: Findings from a Longitudinal Study among Men Living with HIV in India

“…One study among PLWH in the US showed that PLWH who report higher levels of negative coping strategies, such as self-blame, tend to have higher levels of alcohol use, while those who use positive coping strategies, such as seeking social support, exhibit lower levels of alcohol use [ 29 ]. The use of avoidance coping strategies, such as denial and substance use, has been associated with higher symptoms of depression and anxiety among PLWH initiating HIV care in Cameroon [ 30 ]. Additionally, the relationship between coping strategies and HRQOL has also been found to vary by gender among PLWH, with women reporting lower HRQOL scores and using negative coping strategies more frequently than men [ 31 ].…”