Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection are at high risk for depression and poor linkage to care: results from the Steps Study.

Bhatia R, Hartman C, Kallen MA, Graham J, Giordano TP. Persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection are at high risk for depression and poor linkage to care: results from the Steps Study. AIDS and behavior. 2011 Aug 1; 15(6):1161-70.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

Little is known about the prevalence and impact of depression in persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection. The Steps Study is a prospective, observational cohort study of persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection. Participants were administered a battery of instruments, including the CES-D. Linkage to care was defined as attending at least one clinic appointment in each of the first two 90-day intervals following diagnosis. Of 180 participants, 67% screened positive for depression. In multivariate analysis, depression was associated with female sex, income < $25,000, recent substance abuse, baseline poor access to medical care, and low self-efficacy. Fifty-six and sixty-eight percent of depressed and not depressed participants linked to care, respectively. In multivariate analysis, depression was a borderline significant predictor of poor linkage. Depression is very prevalent in persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection. Interventions targeting linkage to care should address depression, substance abuse, and barriers to care.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.