Association of mental health symptoms on HIV care outcomes and retention in treatment.

Objective: The purpose was to examine associations between HIV care engagement and mental health symptoms among persons living with HIV (PLWH) receiving ART. This study builds upon previous findings indicating a significant association between mental health and retention in HIV care, while also advancing the literature by examining the impact of substance use on this link, as well as potential bidirectional associations.

Method: Participants of the current study were 493 patients who engaged in care and received antiviral therapy (ART) from Infectious Disease physicians between 2017 and 2019 in a large academic medical center.

Results: Results from hierarchical regression analyses revealed that patients who missed more days of ART medication had higher depressive symptoms, even when accounting for the effect of demographic variables and alcohol use. Further, depressive symptoms predicted significant variance in number of "no show" visits, but was not individually predictive of ""no show"" visits beyond the effect of other HIV care outcomes (e.g., number of days of medication missed).

Conclusion: Findings reflect linkages among HIV treatment adherence, mental health, and substance use, and highlight the need to target mental health symptoms to improve outcomes among PLWH and prevent HIV transmission.