Increased Depression during COVID-19 Lockdown Associated with Food Insecurity and Antiretroviral Non-Adherence among People Living with HIV in Uganda

Abstract

The health and economic threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic can be sources of great distress among people living with HIV, which in turn can impact the management of their HIV disease. We examined change in depression from pre- to post-lockdown restrictions and correlates of elevated depressive symptoms, including antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Participants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of an ART adherence intervention in Uganda. The month-12 follow-up assessment was fully administered just prior to the start of the pandemic-related lockdown in March 2020; at the conclusion of the lockdown three months later, we administered a mixed-methods phone-based assessment. ART adherence was electronically monitored throughout the study period, including during and after the lockdown. Depression was assessed with the 8-item Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-8), on which scores > 9 signify a positive screen for elevated depressive symptoms. A sample of 280 participants completed both the month-12 and post-lockdown assessments. Rates of elevated depressive symptoms nearly tripled from month 12 (n = 17, 6.1%) to the post-lockdown assessment (n = 50, 17.9%; McNemar test