title: Experiences of chronic stress and mental health concerns among urban Indigenous women.
abstract: We measured stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) levels of urban Indigenous women living with and without HIV in Ontario, Canada, and identified correlates of depression. We recruited 30 Indigenous women living with HIV and 60 without HIV aged 18 years or older who completed socio-demographic and health questionnaires and validated scales assessing stress, depression and PTSD. Descriptive statistics were conducted to summarize variables and linear regression to identify correlates of depression. 85.6 % of Indigenous women self-identified as First Nation. Co-morbidities other than HIV were self-reported by 82.2 % (n = 74) of the sample. High levels of perceived stress were reported by 57.8 % (n = 52) of the sample and 84.2 % (n = 75) had moderate to high levels of urban stress. High median levels of race-related (51/88, IQR 42-68.5) and parental-related stress (40.5/90, IQR 35-49) scores were reported. 82.2 % (n = 74) reported severe depressive symptoms and 83.2 % (n = 74) severe PTSD. High levels of perceived stress was correlated with high depressive symptoms (estimate 1.28 (95 % CI 0.97-1.58), p < 0.001). Indigenous women living with and without HIV reported elevated levels of stress and physical and mental health concerns. Interventions cutting across diverse health care settings are required for improving and preventing adverse health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, 76 Grenville Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2, Canada. anita.benoit@wchospital.ca.
authors.forename: Anita C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: People Advocating for Change through Empowerment, 217 S. Algoma Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3C3, Canada.
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cotnam
authors.affiliation: Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raboud
authors.affiliation: McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Saara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kerrigan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beaver
authors.affiliation: 2-Spirited Peoples of the 1st Nations, 105-145 Front Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1E3, Canada.
authors.forename: Art
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoccole
authors.affiliation: Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.|Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, 201-7 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2P2, Canada.
authors.forename: Doe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Brien-Teengs
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balfour
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, 76 Grenville Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2, Canada.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, 76 Grenville Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2, Canada.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 190 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loutfy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D044382:Population Groups; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Depression; HIV; Indigenous women; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Stress