Experiences and predictors of psychological distress in pregnant women living with HIV
Ifeanyichukwu Anthony Ogueji
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore the experiences and predictors of psychological distress in pregnant women living with HIV. DESIGN: A mixed-methods research design. METHODS: A representative randomly sampled 840 (age range 22-46 years) HIV-positive pregnant women in Akwa Ibom, Benue, and Rivers States of Nigeria enrolled for the study. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires and in-depth interviews for 4 months and 3 weeks in 6 HIV treatment centres. Collected data were analysed using IBM SPSS statistics (v. 22.0) and thematic analysis. RESULTS: = .41; F (3,828) = 186.18; p = .000, with 41% variance explained. Further, there was a significant independent prediction of each predictor at meaning in life (β = -.19, t = -5.08; p = .000), self-compassion (β = -.23, t = -5.59; p = .000), and acceptance of illness (β = -.30, t = -7.23; p = .000), with acceptance of illness exerting the greatest independent predictive impact. Socio-demographic variables (age, length of living with HIV, high-risk state, highest education attained, marital status, and religious affiliation) had no significant contribution to psychological distress. Qualitative analysis found 'anxious concerns', 'depressive reports, loneliness, and regrets', 'self-blame and guilt feelings', as the experiences of psychological distress, and these experiences were determined by respondents' socio-cultural contexts. CONCLUSION: These findings emphasize the importance of psychosocial care for HIV-positive pregnant women.