Understanding depression and the PHQ-9 items among people living with HIV: A multiple methods qualitative study in Yaounde, Cameroon.

ABSTRACT: People living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately affected by depression, which often remains underdiagnosed and untreated, negatively impacting quality of life and treatment outcomes. Low resource settings often lack clinical professionals to identify depression, therefore screening tools such as the PHQ-9 allow for broader depression screening. This qualitative study among PLWH in Yaoundé Cameroon aimed to a) explore local understandings of depression and mental distress and b) assess comprehension and interpretation of the PHQ-9 items and response categories. This study was nested in a larger study that assessed performance of the PHQ-9 among PLWH in Central, East, and West Africa. In Yaoundé, Cameroon, 30 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and 24 cognitive interviews (CIs) were conducted wi

SUBMITTER: Zotova N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11694725 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature