Social Determinants of Depression: Social Cohesion, Negative Life Events, and Depression Among People Living with HIV/Aids in Nigeria, West Africa.
BACKGROUND
People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) continue to face persistent and deep rooted social barriers. Incidentally, studies in social determinants of depression are very limited, necessitating this study, which examined social determinants of depression and the impact of these determinants on depression.


METHODS
This was a hospital based, cross sectional descriptive study of three hundred adult HIV/AIDS patients, attending the HIV clinic of Kwara State Specialist Hospital, Sobi, Ilorin, Nigeria. Depressive symptoms were measured by the PHQ-9 rating scale. Three variables of social determinants of depression: socio-economic status (years of school and self-reported economic status of family), social cohesion, and negative life events were examined.


RESULTS
The self-reported economic status of the family varied from good 35(11.7%), average 162(54%), and poor among 103(34.3%) of the respondents. Social cohesion was low in 199(66.3%), fair in 65(21.7%) and high among 36(12%) of the respondents. There was significant association between social cohesion, negative life events, and depression.
Income was the most significant socio-economic determinant. Majority had very low social cohesion and more negative life events, while those with below average years of schooling were more depressed. These are statistically significant. Social determinants of depression should be given a lot of emphasis, when addressing the issue of depression, if we are to meaningfully tackle this increasing scourge in our society.
Department of Family Medicine, Kwara State Specialist Hospital, Sobi, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Rasaki O
RO
Shittu
Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Nigeria.
Baba A
BA
Issa
Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Nigeria.
Ganiyu T
GT
Olanrewaju
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Abdulraheem O
AO
Mahmoud
Department of Family Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Louis O
LO
Odeigah
Department of Family Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
Abdullateef G
AG
Sule
Depression; Negative life events; Nigeria; PLWHA; People living with HIV/AIDS; Social cohesion; Social determinants