title: Moderate levels of depression predict sexual transmission risk in HIV-infected MSM: a longitudinal analysis of data from six sites involved in a "prevention for positives" study.
abstract: Depression is highly comorbid with HIV and may contribute to increased sexual transmission risk behavior (TRB) amongst HIV-infected MSM, the largest risk group for HIV in the U.S. However, examinations of this effect are inconsistent. The present longitudinal analyses of 746 HIV-infected MSM is from a multi-site "prevention for positives" study. A non-linear association between depression and TRB emerged. Moderate levels of depression (compared to either low or high levels) were associated with a more modest decline in the odds of sexual risk behavior over 12-month follow-up. Assessing depression in HIV primary care settings may help to identify those at risk and integrating the treatment of depression into secondary prevention and treatment initiatives may decrease the likelihood of sexual risk and help to contain the epidemic among MSM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Bowdoin Square, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA. cocleirigh@partners.org
authors.forename: Conall
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Cleirigh
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Newcomb
authors.forename: Kenneth H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Margie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skeer
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traeger
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Safren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data