title: Depression among persons attending a HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic in Kingston, Jamaica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of depression among persons attending a HIV/AIDS clinic in Kingston, Jamaica, and to explore the possible role of patient-specific clinical and social issues as intermediary factors in the relationship between HIV/AIDS and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a three-month period, all eligible and consenting patients from a HIV/ AIDS clinic in Kingston, Jamaica, were invited to participate in the study. They were interviewed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), an instrument validated for the detection of depression in primary care settings. Clinical and socio-demographic data were retrieved for all participating patients from a pre-existing clinic database. Depression prevalence rates were calculated and the association between depression and age, gender, antiretroviral treatment, CD4 count, living arrangement, marital status and major stressors explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three patients participated in the study and 43% (n = 36) of them were depressed. No significant differences in depression rates were found with respect to any of the sociodemographic or clinicalfactors explored (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively high prevalence of depression among attendees at the HIV/AIDS clinic underscores the need for depression screening in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrow
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Barton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors