The Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation among People Living With HIV and Aids Attending Art Clinic at Adult Centre of Excellence University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka

Suicidal ideation has long been associated with HIV infected populations worldwide. It has been found that HIV does not only attack the immune system of an individual but also the nervous system leading to psychological dysfunction of an individual. Objective: To establish the prevalence of suicidal ideation among people living with HIV and AIDS. Method: A cross sectional quantitative design was adopted. Systematic random sampling method was used to select the sample. The total sample comprised of 280 participants. A social demographic questionnaire and Suicidal Risk Screening Scale (SRSS) were used to collect data. Results: The study findings from the SRSS test revealed that (n=193, 69%) of the participants had lower suicide risk while (n=87, 31%) fell into the higher suicide risk category. The study therefore showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation was 31%. Conclusion- Suicidal ideation was prevalent among people living with HIV and Aids.

[1]  網谷 レイチェルマリー.  Perceived Family Support, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation Among People Living With HIV/AIDS in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal , 2014 .

[2]  M. Jimba,et al.  Perceived Family Support, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation among People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal , 2014, PloS one.

[3]  R. Govender,et al.  A suicide risk screening scale for HIV- infected persons in the immediate post- diagnosis period , 2013 .

[4]  J. Burns,et al.  Antenatal depression and its risk factors: an urban prevalence study in KwaZulu-Natal. , 2012, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[5]  S Spudich,et al.  HIV-1-related central nervous system disease: current issues in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. , 2012, Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine.

[6]  Louis Dennington.  Oxford textbook of suicidology and suicide prevention: A global perspective , 2011 .

[7]  J. Catalan,et al.  HIV infection and mental health: Suicidal behaviour – Systematic review , 2011, Psychology, health & medicine.

[8]  J. Catalan,et al.  HIV and Depression – a systematic review of interventions , 2011, Psychology, health & medicine.

[9]  L. Schlebusch,et al.  HIV-infection as a self-reported risk factor for attempted suicide in South Africa. , 2010, African journal of psychiatry.

[10]  B. Rice,et al.  HIV infection and suicide in the era of HAART in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. , 2010, AIDS.

[11]  Christa R. Nevin,et al.  Routine, self-administered, touch-screen, computer-based suicidal ideation assessment linked to automated response team notification in an HIV primary care setting. , 2010, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[12]  M. Egger,et al.  Suicide in HIV-infected individuals and the general population in Switzerland, 1988-2008. , 2010, The American journal of psychiatry.

[13]  T. Mashego,et al.  Suicide-Related Behaviours among Secondary School Adolescents in the Welkom and Bethlehem Areas of the Free State Province (South Africa) , 2009 .

[14]  J. Pirkis,et al.  Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours Among Australian Adults: Findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing , 2009, The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry.

[15]  J. Slade.  The Mental health of Australians 2: report on the 2007 national survey of mental health and wellbeing , 2009 .

[16]  L. Schlebusch,et al.  Suicide attempts in Africa , 2009 .

[17]  P. Bech,et al.  Measurement of suicidal behaviour with psychometric scales , 2009 .

[18]  F. Lampe,et al.  Suicidal ideation in UK HIV clinic attenders , 2008, AIDS.

[19]  J. Bantjes,et al.  The Development and Utilisation of a Suicide Risk Assessment Interview Schedule , 2008 .

[20]  A. Minagar,et al.  NeuroAIDS , 2012, Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy.

[21]  Wayne T. Steward,et al.  Correlates of suicidal ideation among HIV-positive persons , 2007, AIDS.

[22]  H. Christensen,et al.  Age and Gender Differences Among Australian Suicide Ideators: Prevalence and Correlates , 2007, The Journal of nervous and mental disease.

[23]  P. Chandra,et al.  HIV & psychiatric disorders. , 2005, The Indian journal of medical research.

[24]  J. Talbott,et al.  Factors Influencing the Development and Amelioration of Suicidal Thoughts in the General Population: Cohort Study , 2006 .

[25]  B. Gali,et al.  Suicide attempts in HIV/AIDS patients: report of two cases presenting with penetrating abdominal injuries. , 2004, Nigerian journal of medicine : journal of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria.

[26]  Carla J. Reicks,et al.  The impact of HIV-associated neuropsychological impairment on everyday functioning , 2004, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

[27]  P. Riederer,et al.  Parkinsonism in HIV dementia , 2002, Journal of Neural Transmission.

[28]  E. Gomo,et al.  Neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV disease progression Impact of traditional herbs on adult patients in Zimbabwe , 2002, Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry.

[29]  K. Williams,et al.  Central nervous system damage, monocytes and macrophages, and neurological disorders in AIDS. , 2002, Annual review of neuroscience.

[30]  G. Andrews,et al.  The mental health of Australians , 1999 .

[31]  G. Burrows,et al.  Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and HIV infection. , 1998, Psychosomatics.

[32]  R. Brookmeyer,et al.  Suicide and HIV infection. Mortality follow-up of 4147 HIV-seropositive military service applicants. , 1996, JAMA.