Depression, stigma and quality of life in people with drug-susceptible TB and drug-resistant TB in Vietnam
Lisa Redwood, Ellen M.H. Mitchell, Kerri Viney, Kathryn Snow, Theresa Nguyen, L. A. T. Dung, Van N. B. Nguyen, Greg J. Fox
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Drug resistance poses a major barrier to global control of TB – a leading infectious cause of death. Depression and stigma occur commonly among people with TB. However, the relationship between drug-resistant forms of TB, depression and stigma are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To compare depression, stigma and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), among people with drug-susceptible TB (DS-TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). METHODS: A cross-sectional study of people treated for DS-TB and MDR-TB in four provinces of Vietnam. The survey included a stigma scale (Vietnamese Tuberculosis Stigma Scale), depression scale (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire) and HRQoL scale (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Tuberculosis). Differences between the two populations were compared using linear regression. RESULTS: Eighty-one people with DS-TB and 315 people with MDR-TB participated in the study. People with MDR-TB had a higher prevalence of depression than those with DS-TB (difference 17.8%, χ 2 8.64). The mean depression and stigma scores were higher for people with MDR-TB than those with DS-TB (adjusted difference [AD] 8.6 and 7.6 respectively). People with MDR-TB reported lower HRQoL than those with DS-TB (AD –23.8). CONCLUSION: Depression and stigma are common among people with TB in Vietnam. Strategies to prevent and treat depressive symptoms and stigma in people with TB are critical to a holistic, patient-centred approach to care.