title: Excess burden of depression among HIV-infected persons receiving medical care in the united states: data from the medical monitoring project and the behavioral risk factor surveillance system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With increased life expectancy for HIV-infected persons, there is concern regarding comorbid depression because of its common occurrence and association with behaviors that may facilitate HIV transmission. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of current depression among HIV-infected persons receiving care and assess the burden of major depression, relative to that in the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We used data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) and the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS). The eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire was used to identify depression. To assess the burden of major depression among HIV-infected persons receiving care, we compared the prevalence of current major depression between the MMP and BRFSS populations using stratified analyses that simultaneously controlled for gender and, in turn, each of the potentially confounding demographic factors of age, race/ethnicity, education, and income. Each unadjusted comparison was summarized as a prevalence ratio (PR), and each of the adjusted comparisons was summarized as a standardized prevalence ratio (SPR). Among HIV-infected persons receiving care, the prevalence of a current episode of major depression and other depression, respectively, was 12.4% (95% CI: 11.2, 13.7) and 13.2% (95% CI: 12.0%, 14.4%). Overall, the PR comparing the prevalence of current major depression between HIV-infected persons receiving care and the general population was 3.1. When controlling for gender and each of the factors age, race/ethnicity, and education, the SPR (3.3, 3.0, and 2.9, respectively) was similar to the PR. However, when controlling for gender and annual household income, the SPR decreased to 1.5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression remains a common comorbidity among HIV-infected persons. The overall excess burden among HIV-infected persons receiving care is about three-times that among the general population and is associated with differences in annual household income between the two populations. Relevant efforts are needed to reduce this burden.
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ann N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Eli S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tara W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Strine
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Schulden
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fagan
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skarbinski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology