Mental Health and HIV among Zambian Women

Mental Health and HIV among Zambian Women

Introduction

HIV prevalence among women in Zambia is higher than that of their male counterparts. Statistics show that as of 2017, the prevalence of HIV in Zambia was 1.1 million adults (Avert,2018). Out of this number, 630,000 are women. Regarding young adults, 5.7% were women, with 2.5% being men. An increase in mental illness among women has been associated with an increased prevalence of HIV among Zambian women. (Schreiner,2017).

Background

There exists a very close relationship between HIV/Aids and mental illness. After HIV was recognized as well as its symptoms, it was noted to be frequently associated with psychiatric disorders. As people with HIV strive to live longer, such mental disorders increase substantially. In Zambia, there is a high prevalence of HIV among women with data indicating that the number is continuously growing. It was reported that in 2017, the estimated number of women infected with HIV in Zambia is 23000, and this number is by far high as compared to that of men. Most Zambia women who are most affected by HIV are aged between 15-59 years, and this represents 14.6% of the Zambia population. As the HIV condition progresses, mental problems such as depression.

Literature review

Studies by Besa et al. (2015) about the prevalence of mental disorders in women with HIV disease in Zambia have produced varying results. The variations in results are, however, attributed to the type of population that is used, the comparison groups applied and the instruments that are also used during the study. Even though there is a high prevalence of HIV in the African continent, the highest population that has been associated with this condition is women (Besa et al., 2015). In his article, the author adds that higher rates of psychiatric morbidity independent from HIV among women in Zambia can also be attributed to those who smoke. Some of the mental disorders which affect women in Zambia who have HIV are depression and anxiety. Even though HIV brings such mental disorders among Zambian women, such conditions also accelerate the state of HIV.

Even though the evidence of HIV and mental health in low-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa is limited, there is enough data regarding HIV and psychiatric disorder among women in Zambia. Studies by Bernard et al. (2017) reveal that fairly consistent associations have been reported between poor mental health and HIV among women in Zambia, and most of them are linked to psychological distress. To understand the association between HIV and mental health, a study was conducted between a person who is HIV positive and another one who is HIV negative in Zambia (Bernard et al. 2017). According to the study, it was revealed that Zambian women who are positive have a high prevalence of psychiatric problems as compared to the ones who were HIV negative (Bernard et al. 2017). The percentage of HIV positive people who were diagnosed with mental health problems was 59.1% when compared to the HIV negative women whose cases of mental issues reached 19.5%.

On the other hand, Vancampfort et al. (2018) revealed that HIV and mental health disorder among women in Zambia has indicated that those psychiatric disorders have various consequences on HIV disease. Additionally, the author states that mental disorders such as stress and anxiety have been recognized as a risk factor in the transmission of HIV and this is through their effect on various forms of sexual behaviour (Vancampfort et al., 2018). Again, mental disorders may also affect the outcome of HIV diseases. For example, depression reduces the adherence of the woman to retro-viral drugs, and this forms the reason as to why HIV is still one of the highest killer diseases in the country. Evidence from this study also suggests that mental problems such as depression can accelerate the progression of HIV in the body (Vancampfort et al. 2018). Depression is also linked to increased mortality through both accidental and suicidal causes of deaths.

problem statement

The increased rate of mental health illness among women as compared to men in Zambia has significantly increased the number of females who have HIV in the country. Women in Zambia are a vulnerable group due to societal beliefs and expectations. Persons with mental health challenges are also considered to be weak in any society. Both groups are at high risk of contracting the virus. Mental problems like depression diminish their ability to make rational decisions or defend themselves from sexual manipulation and exploitation. Their mental status also reduces the willingness to report such violations.

Justification

Zambia’s economic growth depends on the health of its population. As the prevalence of HIV among women increases due to mental health conditions, the productivity of women in the country is lowered. Funds that could have been allocated to other economic ventures by the Zambian government to improve the economy are diverted to purchasing medication and caring for the sick population. It is, therefore, necessary to explore any association between mental health conditions and HIV in women to implement psychosocial interventions that can help Zambian women protect themselves from being infected by the virus.

Objectives

1)To explore an association between mental health and HIV among Zambian women.

2)To investigate whether increased psychosocial support can help Zambian women with a mental illness prevent new HIV infections.

PICOT Question

Should psychosocial support be used to help control new HIV infections among Zambian women suffering from mental health conditions?

Limitations Of Study

1)Obtaining accurate data on the HIV status of mentally challenged individuals may be difficult partly because they may be unaware of their situation.

2)Existing health records may not indicate the mental health condition, and the individual may not be able to identify relatives who can answer relevant questions.

3)The mental health challenges may cause the individual to be violent or uncooperative, which may further make data collection difficult.

Conclusion

In conclusion, various studies that have been conducted in Zambia to determine the association between mental health and HIV among women have revealed positive outcomes. Even though women are generally the subject matter as far as HIV and mental disorder are concerned, those women who are living in urban areas are more likely to be diagnosed with this condition as compared to those from rural areas. It is, therefore, a requirement for the Zambian government to adopt programs aimed at curbing this problem.