Measuring intersectional HIV, sexual diversity, and gender non-conformity stigma among healthcare workers in Ghana: scale validation and correlates of stigma.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at heightened risk for HIV acquisition, yet they may delay or avoid HIV testing due to intersectional stigma experienced at the healthcare facility (HCF). Few validated scales exist to measure intersectional stigma, particularly amongst HCF staff. We developed the Healthcare Facility Staff Intersectional Stigma Scale (HCF-ISS) and assessed factors associated with stigma in Ghana. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data from HCF staff involved in a study testing a multi-level intervention to reduce intersectional stigma experienced by MSM. Data are from eight HCFs in Ghana (HCF Staff n = 200). The HCF-ISS assesses attitudes and beliefs towards same-sex relationships, people living with HIV (PLWH) and gender non-conformity. Exploratory factor analysis assessed HCF-ISS construct validity and Cronbach's alphas assessed the reliability of the scale. Multivariable regression analyses assessed factors associated with intersectional stigma. RESULTS: Factor analysis suggested an 18-item 3-factor scale including: Comfort with Intersectional Identities in the Workplace (6 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.71); Beliefs about Gender and Sexuality Norms (7 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.72); and Beliefs about PLWH (5 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.68). Having recent clients who engage in same-gender sex was associated with greater comfort with intersectional identities but more stigmatizing beliefs about PLWH. Greater religiosity was associated with stigmatizing beliefs. Infection control training was associated with less stigma towards PLWH and greater comfort with intersectional identities. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 requires eliminating barriers that undermine access to HIV prevention and treatment for MSM, including HCF intersectional stigma. The HCF-ISS provides a measurement tool to support intersectional stigma-reduction interventions.

Friendship Bench Intervention to Address Depression and Improve HIV Care Engagement Among Adolescents Living with HIV in Malawi: Study Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Comorbid depression is prevalent among adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) and poses numerous challenges to HIV care engagement and retainment. We present a pilot trial designed to investigate feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of an adapted and an enhanced Friendship Bench intervention (henceforth: AFB and EFB) in reducing depression and improving engagement in HIV care among ALWH in Malawi. Methods: Design:: Participants will be randomized to one of three conditions: the Friendship Bench intervention adapted for ALWH (AFB, n=35), the Friendship Bench intervention enhanced with peer support (EFB, n=35), or standard of care (SOC, n=35). Recruitment is planned for early 2024 in four clinics in Malawi.Participants:: Eligibility criteria (1) aged 13-19; (2) diagnosed with HIV (vertically or horizontally); (3) scored ≥ 13 on the self-reported Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II); (4) living in the clinic's catchment area with intention to remain for at least 1 year; and (5) willing to provide informed consent.Interventions:: AFB includes 6 counseling sessions facilitated by young, trained non-professional counselors. EFB consists of AFB plus integration of peer support group sessions to facilitate engagement in HIV care. SOC for mental health in public facilities in Malawi includes options for basic supportive counseling, medication, referral to mental health clinics or psychiatric units at tertiary care hospitals for more severe cases.Outcomes:: The primary outcomes are feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the AFB and EFB assessed at 6 months and 12 months and compared across 3 arms. The secondary outcome is to assess preliminary effectiveness of the interventions in reducing depressive symptoms and improving HIV viral suppression at 6 months and 12 months. Discussion: This pilot study will provide insights into youth-friendly adaptations of the Friendship Bench model for ALWH in Malawi and the value of adding group peer support for HIV care engagement. The information gathered in this study will lead to a R01 application to test our adapted intervention in a large-scale cluster randomized controlled trial to improve depression and engagement in HIV care among ALWH.

"One pastor advised him to stop taking HIV medication": Promoters and barriers to HIV care among gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men living with HIV in Ghana.

Introduction: Few studies examine Ghanaian gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) experience with HIV diagnoses and linkage to care. This article provides qualitative accounts of promoters and barriers to care among GBMSM living with HIV in Ghana. Methods: We recruited and interviewed 10 GBMSM living with HIV in two Ghanaian cities. We transcribed the interviews, coded the data, and used thematic content analysis. Results: We found that community and healthcare facility (HCF) level HIV and sexual stigma, confidentiality issues, alternative medicine, and substance use remain the key barriers to care. Other barriers include healthcare system issues such as long wait times and economic problems (e.g., health insurance and financial difficulties). Nonetheless, HCF-level factors such as positive experiences with providers, HIV counseling, and detailed medication information facilitate adherence to care among GBMSM. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for interventions that address linkage to care issues, especially substance use, disinformation, and misinformation among GBMSM and other Ghanaian communities.

Validation of a brief screener for broad-spectrum mental and substance-use disorders in South Africa.

In low-resource settings, valid mental health screening tools for non-specialists can be used to identify patients with psychiatric disorders in need of critical mental health care. The Mental Wellness Tool-13 (mwTool-13) is a 13-item screener for identifying adults at risk for common mental disorders (CMDs) alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), substance-use disorders (SUD), severe mental disorders (SMDs), and suicide risk (SR). The mwTool-13 is administered in two steps, specifically, only those who endorse any of the initial three questions receive the remaining ten questions. We evaluated the performance of mwTool-13 in South Africa against a diagnostic gold standard. We recruited a targeted, gender-balanced sample of adults, aged ≥18 years at primary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Eastern Cape Province. Of the 1885 participants, the prevalence of CMD, AUD, SMD, SR, and SUD was 24.4%, 9.5%, 8.1%, 6.0%, and 1.6%, respectively. The mwTool-13 yielded high sensitivities for CMD, SMD, and SR, but sub-optimal sensitivities for AUD and SUD (56.7% and 64.5%, respectively). Including a single AUD question in the initial question set improved the tool's performance in identifying AUD and SUD (sensitivity > 70%), while maintaining brevity, face-validity, and simplicity in the South African setting.

"I told myself, be bold and go and test": Motivators and barriers to HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other cis-gender men who have sex with men in Ghana ‒ West Africa.

Despite a disproportionately high burden of HIV, GBMSM in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa often delay testing until the point of illness. However, limited studies examine factors that affect their participation in testing. We used qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect insights into experiences, motivators, and barriers to HIV testing among GBMSM. Two community-based organizations used snowball and convenience sampling to recruit 10 GBMSM for IDIs and 8 to 12 for FGDs. We transcribed, coded, identified, and analyzed the relationship and commonalities between the participants' responses. Under experiences with testing, 1) fear of HIV infection created a stressful HIV testing experience, and 2) a friendly and supportive healthcare environment facilitated a positive experience in healthcare facilities. Motivators or facilitators of testing include 1) the perception or belief that HIV testing is an HIV prevention strategy; 2) encouragement from friends and peers; 3) understanding risk associated with certain sexual behaviors; 4) education or information on HIV; 5) access to free testing and incentives; 6) early symptoms and provider recommendation. Barriers to HIV testing include 1) negative community perceptions of HIV; 2) individual-level low-risk perception or indifference about HIV infection; 3) health system issues; 5) Perceived stigma at healthcare facilities. The findings point to the need to address critical issues around stigma, education, peer support, and healthcare resources through interventions and research to improve HIV testing among GBMSM in the country.

Availability of substance use screening and treatment within HIV clinical sites across seven geographic regions within the IeDEA consortium.

BACKGROUND: Overwhelming evidence highlights the negative impact of substance use on HIV care and treatment outcomes. Yet, the extent to which alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD) services have been integrated within HIV clinical settings is limited. We describe AUD/SUD screening and treatment availability in HIV clinical sites participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. METHODS: In 2020, 223 IeDEA HIV clinical sites from 41 countries across seven geographic regions completed a survey on capacity and practices related to management of AUD/ SUD. Sites provided information on AUD and other SUD screening and treatment practices. RESULTS: Sites were from low-income countries (23%), lower-middle-income countries (38%), upper-middle income countries (17%) and high-income counties (23%). AUD and SUD screening using validated instruments were reported at 32% (n=71 located in 12 countries) and 12% (n=27 located in 6 countries) of the 223 sites from 41 countries, respectively. The North American region had the highest proportion of clinics that reported AUD screening (76%), followed by East Africa (46%); none of the sites in West or Central Africa reported AUD screening. 31% (n=69) reported both AUD screening and counseling, brief intervention, psychotherapy, or Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment; 8% (n=18) reported AUD screening and detox hospitalization; and 10% (n=24) reported both AUD screening and medication. While the proportion of clinics providing treatment for SUD was lower than those treating AUD, the prevalence estimates of treatment availability were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of screening and treatment for AUD/SUD in HIV care settings is limited, leaving a substantial gap for integration into ongoing HIV care. A critical understanding is needed of the multilevel implementation factors or feasible implementation strategies for integrating screening and treatment of AUD/SUD into HIV care settings, particularly for resource-constrained regions.

Improving integrated depression and non-communicable disease care in Malawi through engaged leadership and supportive implementation climate.

BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries often lack access to mental health services, leading to calls for integration within other primary care systems. In sub-Saharan Africa, integration of depression treatment in non-communicable disease (NCD) settings is feasible, acceptable, and effective. However, leadership and implementation climate challenges often hinder effective integration and quality of services. The aim of this study was to identify discrete leadership strategies that facilitate overcoming barriers to the integration of depression care in NCD clinics in Malawi and to understand how clinic leadership shapes the implementation climate. METHODS: We conducted 39 in-depth interviews with the District Medical Officer, the NCD coordinator, one NCD provider, and the research assistant from each of the ten Malawian NCD clinics (note one District Medical Officer served two clinics). Based on semi-structured interview guides, participants were asked their perspectives on the impact of leadership and implementation climate on overcoming barriers to integrating depression care into existing NCD services. Thematic analysis used both inductive and deductive approaches to identify emerging themes and compare among participant type. RESULTS: The results revealed how engaged leadership can fuel a positive implementation climate where clinics had heightened capacity to overcome implementation barriers. Effective leaders were approachable and engaged in daily operations of the clinic and problem-solving. They held direct involvement with and mentorship during the intervention, providing assistance in patient screening and consultation with treatment plans. Different levels of leadership utilized their respective standings and power dynamics to influence provider attitudes and perceptions surrounding the intervention. Leaders acted by informing providers about the intervention source and educating them on the importance of mental healthcare, as it was often undervalued. Lastly, they prioritized teamwork and collective ownership for the intervention, increasing provider responsibility. CONCLUSION: Training that prioritizes leadership visibility and open communication will facilitate ongoing Malawi Ministry of Health efforts to scale up evidence-based depression treatment within NCD clinics. This proves useful where extensive and external monitoring may be limited. Ultimately, these results can inform successful strategies to close implementation gaps to achieve integration of mental health services in low-resource settings through improved leadership and implementation climate. TRIAL REGISTRATION: These findings are reported from ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03711786. Registered on 18/10/2018. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03711786 .

Availability of screening and treatment for common mental disorders in HIV clinic settings: data from the global International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Consortium, 2016-2017 and 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Common mental disorders (CMDs) are highly prevalent among people with HIV. Integrating mental healthcare into HIV care may improve mental health and HIV treatment outcomes. We describe the reported availability of screening and treatment for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at global HIV treatment centres participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Consortium in 2020 and changes in availability at sites in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) between 2016/2017 and 2020. METHODS: In 2020, 238 sites contributing individual-level data to the IeDEA Consortium and in 2016/2017 a stratified random sample of IeDEA sites in LMICs were eligible to participate in site surveys on the availability of screening and treatment for CMDs. We assessed trends over time for 68 sites across 27 LMICs that participated in both surveys. RESULTS: Among the 238 sites eligible to participate in the 2020 site survey, 227 (95%) participated, and mental health screening and treatment data were available for 223 (98%) sites across 41 countries. A total of 95 sites across 29 LMICs completed the 2016/2017 survey. In 2020, 68% of sites were in urban settings, and 77% were in LMICs. Overall, 50%, 14% and 12% of sites reported screening with a validated instrument for depression, anxiety and PTSD, respectively. Screening plus treatment in the form of counselling was available for depression, anxiety and PTSD at 46%, 13% and 11% of sites, respectively. Screening plus treatment in the form of medication was available for depression, anxiety and PTSD at 36%, 11% and 8% of sites, respectively. Among sites that participated in both surveys, screening for depression was more commonly available in 2020 than 2016/2017 (75% vs. 59%, respectively, p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Reported availability of screening for depression increased among this group of IeDEA sites in LMICs between 2016/2017 and 2020. However, substantial gaps persist in the availability of mental healthcare at HIV treatment sites across global settings, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Implementation of sustainable strategies to integrate mental health services into HIV care is needed.

Psychosocial and pharmacologic interventions to reduce harmful alcohol use in low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Harmful alcohol use is defined as unhealthy alcohol use that results in adverse physical, psychological, social, or societal consequences and is among the leading risk factors for disease, disability and premature mortality globally. The burden of harmful alcohol use is increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and there remains a large unmet need for indicated prevention and treatment interventions to reduce harmful alcohol use in these settings. Evidence regarding which interventions are effective and feasible for addressing harmful and other patterns of unhealthy alcohol use in LMICs is limited, which contributes to this gap in services. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of psychosocial and pharmacologic treatment and indicated prevention interventions compared with control conditions (wait list, placebo, no treatment, standard care, or active control condition) aimed at reducing harmful alcohol use in LMICs. SEARCH METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indexed in the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group (CDAG) Specialized Register, the Cochrane Clinical Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) through 12 December 2021. We searched clinicaltrials.gov, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Web of Science, and Opengrey database to identify unpublished or ongoing studies. We searched the reference lists of included studies and relevant review articles for eligible studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: All RCTs comparing an indicated prevention or treatment intervention (pharmacologic or psychosocial) versus a control condition for people with harmful alcohol use in LMICs were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. MAIN RESULTS: We included 66 RCTs with 17,626 participants. Sixty-two of these trials contributed to the meta-analysis. Sixty-three studies were conducted in middle-income countries (MICs), and the remaining three studies were conducted in low-income countries (LICs). Twenty-five trials exclusively enrolled participants with alcohol use disorder. The remaining 51 trials enrolled participants with harmful alcohol use, some of which included both cases of alcohol use disorder and people reporting hazardous alcohol use patterns that did not meet criteria for disorder. Fifty-two RCTs assessed the efficacy of psychosocial interventions; 27 were brief interventions primarily based on motivational interviewing and were compared to brief advice, information, or assessment only. We are uncertain whether a reduction in harmful alcohol use is attributable to brief interventions given the high levels of heterogeneity among included studies (Studies reporting continuous outcomes: Tau² = 0.15, Q =139.64, df =16, P<.001, I² = 89%, 3913 participants, 17 trials, very low certainty; Studies reporting dichotomous outcomes: Tau²=0.18, Q=58.26, df=3, P<.001, I² =95%, 1349 participants, 4 trials, very low certainty). The other types of psychosocial interventions included a range of therapeutic approaches such as behavioral risk reduction, cognitive-behavioral therapy, contingency management, rational emotive therapy, and relapse prevention. These interventions were most commonly compared to usual care involving varying combinations of psychoeducation, counseling, and pharmacotherapy. We are uncertain whether a reduction in harmful alcohol use is attributable to psychosocial treatments due to high levels of heterogeneity among included studies (Heterogeneity: Tau² = 1.15; Q = 444.32, df = 11, P<.001; I²=98%, 2106 participants, 12 trials, very low certainty). Eight trials compared combined pharmacologic and psychosocial interventions with placebo, psychosocial intervention alone, or another pharmacologic treatment. The active pharmacologic study conditions included disulfiram, naltrexone, ondansetron, or topiramate. The psychosocial components of these interventions included counseling, encouragement to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, motivational interviewing, brief cognitive-behavioral therapy, or other psychotherapy (not specified). Analysis of studies comparing a combined pharmacologic and psychosocial intervention to psychosocial intervention alone found that the combined approach may be associated with a greater reduction in harmful alcohol use (standardized mean difference (standardized mean difference (SMD))=-0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.61 to -0.24; 475 participants; 4 trials; low certainty). Four trials compared pharmacologic intervention alone with placebo and three with another pharmacotherapy. Drugs assessed were: acamprosate, amitriptyline, baclofen disulfiram, gabapentin, mirtazapine, and naltrexone. None of these trials evaluated the primary clinical outcome of interest, harmful alcohol use.   Thirty-one trials reported rates of retention in the intervention. Meta-analyses revealed that rates of retention between study conditions did not differ in any of the comparisons (pharmacologic risk ratio (RR) = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.44, 247 participants, 3 trials, low certainty; pharmacologic in addition to psychosocial intervention: RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.95 to 1.40, 363 participants, 3 trials, moderate certainty). Due to high levels of heterogeneity, we did not calculate pooled estimates comparing retention in brief (Heterogeneity: Tau² = 0.00; Q = 172.59, df = 11, P<.001; I2 = 94%; 5380 participants; 12 trials, very low certainty) or other psychosocial interventions (Heterogeneity: Tau² = 0.01; Q = 34.07, df = 8, P<.001; I2 = 77%; 1664 participants; 9 trials, very low certainty). Two pharmacologic trials and three combined pharmacologic and psychosocial trials reported on side effects. These studies found more side effects attributable to amitriptyline relative to mirtazapine, naltrexone and topiramate relative to placebo, yet no differences in side effects between placebo and either acamprosate or ondansetron. Across all intervention types there was substantial risk of bias. Primary threats to validity included lack of blinding and differential/high rates of attrition. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: In LMICs there is low-certainty evidence supporting the efficacy of combined psychosocial and pharmacologic interventions on reducing harmful alcohol use relative to psychosocial interventions alone. There is insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of pharmacologic or psychosocial interventions on reducing harmful alcohol use largely due to the substantial heterogeneity in outcomes, comparisons, and interventions that precluded pooling of these data in meta-analyses. The majority of studies are brief interventions, primarily among men, and using measures that have not been validated in the target population. Confidence in these results is reduced by the risk of bias and significant heterogeneity among studies as well as the heterogeneity of results on different outcome measures within studies. More evidence on the efficacy of pharmacologic interventions, specific types of psychosocial interventions are needed to increase the certainty of these results.

Evaluating the validity of depression-related stigma measurement among diabetes and hypertension patients receiving depression care in Malawi: A mixed-methods analysis.

Mental illness stigma research is sparse in Malawi. Our team previously analyzed the reliability and statistical validity of a quantitative tool to measure depression-related stigma among participants with depressive symptoms using quantitative psychometric methods. This analysis aims to further evaluate the content validity of the stigma tool by comparing participants' quantitative responses with qualitative data. The SHARP project conducted depression screening and treatment at 10 noncommunicable disease clinics across Malawi from April 2019 through December 2021. Eligible participants were 18-65 years with depressive symptoms indicated by a PHQ-9 score ≥5. Questionnaires at each study timepoint included a vignette-based quantitative stigma instrument with three thematic domains: disclosure carryover (i.e., concerns about disclosure), treatment carryover (i.e., concerns about external stigma because of receiving depression treatment), and negative affect (i.e., negative attitudes about people having depression). Sub-scores were aggregated for each domain, with higher scores indicating greater stigma. To better understand participants' interpretation of this quantitative stigma questionnaire, we asked a subset of six participants a parallel set of questions in semi-structured qualitative interviews in a method similar to cognitive interviewing. Qualitative responses were linked with participants' most recent quantitative follow-up interviews using Stata 16 and NVivo software. Participants with lower quantitative stigma disclosure sub-scores had qualitative responses that indicated less stigma around disclosure, while participants with higher quantitative stigma sub-scores had qualitative responses indicating greater stigma. Similarly, in the negative affect and treatment carryover domains, participants had parallel quantitative and qualitative responses. Further, participants identified with the vignette character in their qualitative interviews, and participants spoke about the character's projected feelings and experiences based on their own lived experiences. The stigma tool was interpreted appropriately by participants, providing strong evidence for the content validity of the quantitative tool to measure these stigma domains.

The acceptability of antidepressant treatment in people living with HIV in Malawi: A patient perspective.

Depression is common among people living with HIV (PLWH). Measurement-based care models that measure depression severity and antidepressant side effects, and use an algorithm to guide antidepressant prescription by non-specialized health workers represent an evidence-based treatment for severe depression in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted in-depth interviews from June to December 2018 with eleven patients enrolled in Project SOAR-Mental Health, a pilot project integrating depression treatment into HIV care in Malawi. Patients treated with amitriptyline or fluoxetine participated in interviews exploring antidepressant acceptability through patient knowledge, side effect severity, pill burden, adherence, perceived efficacy, and tolerability. Patients described a lack of detailed antidepressant education from their providers. Variable, typically self-limiting side effects were reported from both amitriptyline and fluoxetine. While most side effects were mild, three patients reported functional impairment. Patients reported high adherence, though the additional pill burden was a challenge. Most patients found the antidepressants efficacious, tolerable, beneficial and acceptable. Although patient psychoeducation is notably lacking as a facet of clinical management, antidepressant prescription by primary care providers appears acceptable for comorbid severe depression in PLWH initiating HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa. Health workers should be mindful of dosing to minimise side effects and considerate of the additional pill burden.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID [NCT03555669]. Retrospectively registered on 13 June 2018.

Estimating the effect of anticipated depression treatment-related stigma on depression remission among people with noncommunicable diseases and depressive symptoms in Malawi.

PURPOSE: While mental health stigma research is sparse in Malawi, research in other settings suggests that stigma represents a barrier to mental health treatment and recovery. Accordingly, we conducted an analysis to understand the role of treatment-related stigma in depression care in Malawi by estimating the effect of patients' baseline anticipated treatment-related stigma on their 3-month probability of depression remission when newly identified with depression. METHODS: We conducted depression screening and treatment at 10 noncommunicable disease (NCD) clinics across Malawi from April 2019 through December 2021. Eligible cohort participants were 18-65 years with depressive symptoms indicated by a PHQ-9 score ≥5. Questionnaires at the baseline and 3-month interviews included a vignette-based quantitative stigma instrument that measured treatment-related stigma, i.e., concerns about external stigma because of receiving depression treatment. Using inverse probability weighting to adjust for confounding and multiple imputation to account for missing data, this analysis relates participants' baseline levels of anticipated treatment stigma to the 3-month probability of achieving depression remission (i.e., PHQ-9 score < 5). RESULTS: Of 743 included participants, 273 (37%) achieved depression remission by their 3-month interview. The probability of achieving depression remission at the 3-month interview among participants with high anticipated treatment stigma (0.31; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.23, 0.39)) was 10 percentage points lower than among the low/neutral stigma group (risk: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.45; RD: -0.10; 95% CI: -0.19, -0.003). CONCLUSION: In Malawi, a reduction in anticipated depression treatment-related stigma among NCD patients initiating depression treatment could improve depression outcomes. Further investigation is necessary to understand the modes by which stigma can be successfully reduced to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life among people living with depression.

"It's Better If I Die Because Even in the Hospital, There is a Stigma, People Still Gossip": Gossip as a Culturally Shaped Labeling Process and Its Implications for HIV-Related Stigma in Botswana.

This study qualitatively explores HIV-related gossip as both a manifestation and driver of HIV-related stigma, which is a known barrier to HIV testing and treatment in Botswana. Data were elicited from 5 focus group discussions and 46 semi-structured in-depth interviews with individuals living with HIV and community members with undisclosed serostatus in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 (n = 84). Directed content analysis using the 'What Matters Most' theoretical framework identified culturally salient manifestations of HIV-related stigma; simultaneous use of Modified Labeling Theory allowed interpretation and stepwise organization of how the social phenomenon of gossip leads to adverse HIV outcomes. Results indicated that HIV-related gossip can diminish community standing through culturally influenced mechanisms, in turn precipitating poor psychosocial well-being and worsened HIV-related outcomes. These harms may be offset by protective factors, such as appearing healthy, accepting one's HIV status, and community education about the harms of gossip.

Multi-level manifestations of sexual stigma among men with same-gender sexual experience in Ghana.

Sexual stigma and discrimination toward men who have same-gender sexual experiences are present across the globe. In Ghana, same-gender sexual desires and relationships are stigmatized, and the stigma is sanctioned through both social and legal processes. Such stigma negatively influences health and other material and social aspects of daily life for men who have sex with men (MSM). However, there is evidence that stigma at the interpersonal level can intersect with stigma that may be operating simultaneously at other levels. Few studies provide a comprehensive qualitative assessment of the multi-level sexual stigma derived from the direct narratives of men with same-gender sexual experience. To help fill this gap on sexual stigma, we qualitatively investigated [1] what was the range of sexual stigma manifestations, and [2] how sexual stigma manifestations were distributed across socioecological levels in a sample of Ghanaian MSM. From March to September 2020, we conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with MSM about their experiences with stigma from Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Data from the FGDs were subjected to qualitative content analysis. We identified a range of eight manifestations of sexual stigma: (1) gossiping and outing; (2) verbal abuse and intrusive questioning; (3) non-verbal judgmental gestures; (4) societal, cultural, and religious blaming and shaming; (5) physical abuse; (6) poor-quality services; (7) living in constant fear and stigma avoidance; and (8) internal ambivalence and guilt about sexual behavior. Sexual stigma manifestations were unevenly distributed across socioecological levels. Our findings are consistent with those of existing literature documenting that, across Africa, and particularly in Ghana, national laws and religious institutions continue to drive stigma against MSM. Fundamental anti-homosexual sentiments along with beliefs associating homosexuality with foreign cultures and immorality drive the stigmatization of MSM. Stigma experienced at all socioecological levels has been shown to impact both the mental and sexual health of MSM. Deeper analysis is needed to understand more of the lived stigma experiences of MSM to develop appropriate stigma-reduction interventions. Additionally, more community-level stigma research and interventions are needed that focus on the role of family and peers in stigma toward MSM in Ghana.

Validation of a Brief Internalized Sex-work Stigma Scale among Female Sex Workers in Kenya.

Female sex workers (FSW) often face severe stigma and discrimination and are extremely vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In the fields of HIV and mental health, internalized stigma is associated with poor health care engagement. Due to the lack of valid, standardized measures for internalized sex work-related stigma, its dimensions and role are not well-understood. This study aimed to validate the six-item Internalized AIDS-Related Stigma Scale adapted to capture internalized sex work-related stigma by examining the scale's psychometric properties and performance among a cross-sectional, snowball sample of FSW (N = 497) in Kenya. While the original pre-hypothesized six-item model yielded acceptable CFI and SRMR values (CFI = 0.978 and SRMR = 0.038), the RMSEA was higher than desirable (RMSEA = 0.145). Our final four-item model demonstrated improved goodness of fit indices (RMSEA = 0.053; CFI = 0.999; and SRMR = 0.005). Both the pre-hypothesized six-item and reduced final four-item model demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas of 0.8162 and 0.8754, respectively). Higher levels of internalized stigma were associated with depression, riskier sexual behavior, and reduced condom use. This very brief measure will allow for reliable assessment of internalized stigma among FSW. Further investigation of internalized stigma among male sex workers, particularly the intersection of sex work-related and same-sex behavior-related stigmas, is needed.

Does It Matter What Screener We Use? A Comparison of Ultra-brief PHQ-4 and E-mwTool-3 Screeners for Anxiety and Depression Among People With and Without HIV.

The burden of depression and anxiety disorders is high in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for people with HIV (PWH). The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and Electronic Mental Wellness Tool-3 (E-mwTool-3) are ultra-brief screening tools for these disorders. We compared the performance of PHQ-4 and E-mwTool-3 for screening MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview diagnoses of depression and anxiety among a sample of individuals with and without HIV in two primary care clinics and one general hospital in Maputo City, Mozambique. Areas-under-the-curve (AUC) were calculated along with sensitivities and specificities at a range of cutoffs. For PWH, at a sum score cutoff of ≥ 1, sensitivities were strong: PHQ-4:Depression = 0.843; PHQ-4:Anxiety = 0.786; E-mwTool-3:Depression = 0.843; E-mwTool-3:Anxiety = 0.929. E-mwTool-3 performance was comparable to PHQ-4 among people with and without HIV.

Validating a measure of anticipated sex work-related stigma among male and female sex workers in Kenya.

Sex workers face different types of sex work-related stigma, which may include anticipated, perceived, experienced, or internalized stigma. Sex work stigma can discourage health care seeking and hamper STI and HIV prevention and treatment efforts. There is a paucity of validated sex work-related stigma measures, and this limits the ability to study the stigma associated with sex work. A cross-sectional survey was conducted that measured anticipated sex work-related stigma among male and female sex workers in Kenya (N = 729). We examined the construct validity and reliability of the anticipated stigma items to establish a conceptually and statistically valid scale. Our analysis supported a 15-item scale measuring five anticipated sex work stigma domains: gossip and verbal abuse from family; gossip and verbal abuse from healthcare workers; gossip and verbal abuse from friends and community; physical abuse; and exclusion. The scale demonstrated good face, content, and construct validity. Reliability was good for all subscales and the overall scale. The scale demonstrated good model fit statistics and good standardized factor loadings. The availability of valid and reliable stigma measures will enhance efforts to characterize and address stigma among sex workers and ultimately support the protection, health and well-being of this vulnerable population.

Using a mixed-methods approach to adapt an HIV stigma reduction to address intersectional stigma faced by men who have sex with men in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: In Ghana, men who have sex with men (MSM) are estimated to be 11 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population. Stigmas at the intersection of HIV, same-sex and gender non-conformity are potential key drivers behind this outsized HIV disease burden. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are essential to HIV prevention, care and treatment and can also be sources of stigma for people living with HIV and MSM. This article describes the process and results of adapting an evidence-based HIV stigma-reduction HCW training curriculum to address HIV, same-sex and gender non-conformity stigma among HCWs in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, Ghana. METHODS: Six steps were implemented from March 2020 to September 2021: formative research (in-depth interviews with stigma-reduction trainers [n = 8] and MSM living with HIV [n = 10], and focus group discussions with HCWs [n = 8] and MSM [n = 8]); rapid data analysis to inform a first-draft adapted curriculum; a stakeholder adaptation workshop; triangulation of adaptation with HCW baseline survey data (N = 200) and deeper analysis of formative data; iterative discussions with partner organizations for further refinement; external expert review; and final adaptation with the teams of HCWs and MSM being trained to deliver the curriculum. RESULTS: Key themes emerging under four immediately actionable drivers of health facility intersectional stigma (awareness, fear, attitudes and facility environment) informed the adaptation of the HIV training curriculum. Based on the findings, existing curriculum exercises were placed in one of four categories: (1) Expand-existing exercises that needed modifications to incorporate deeper MSM and gender non-conformity stigma content; (2) Generate-new exercises to fill gaps; (3) Maintain-exercises to keep with no modifications; and (4) Eliminate-exercises that could be dropped given training time constraints. New exercises were developed to address gender norms, the belief that being MSM is a mental illness and stigmatizing attitudes towards MSM. CONCLUSIONS: Getting to the "heart of stigma" requires understanding and responding to both HIV and other intersecting stigma targeting sexual and gender diversity. Findings from this study can inform health facility stigma reduction programming not only for MSM, but also for other populations affected by HIV-related and intersectional stigma in Ghana and beyond.

A pilot pragmatic trial of a "what matters most"-based intervention targeting intersectional stigma related to being pregnant and living with HIV in Botswana.

We conducted a pilot trial of an intervention targeting intersectional stigma related to being pregnant and living with HIV while promoting capabilities for achieving 'respected motherhood' ('what matters most') in Botswana. A pragmatic design allocated participants to the intervention (N = 44) group and the treatment-as-usual (N = 15) group. An intent-to-treat, difference-in-difference analysis found the intervention group had significant decreases in HIV stigma (d = - 1.20; 95% CI - 1.99, - 0.39) and depressive symptoms (d = - 1.96; 95% CI - 2.89, - 1.02) from baseline to 4-months postpartum. Some, albeit less pronounced, changes in intersectional stigma were observed, suggesting the importance of structural-level intervention components to reduce intersectional stigma.

Probable perinatal depression and social support among women enrolled in Malawi's Option B+ Program: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Malawi's PMTCT Option B+ program has expanded the reach of ART services among pregnant and breastfeeding women, but retention in lifelong HIV care remains challenging. Given that depression can undermine retention, it is important to understand how depression changes over the perinatal period, varies across treatment and retention groups, and could be buffered by social support. METHODS: Data are from an observational study conducted among women enrolled in Malawi's PMTCT Option B+ program. We used multilevel generalized linear models to estimate the odds of probable depression by time, treatment and retention group, and social support. Probable depression was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: Of 468 women, 15% reported probable depression at antenatal enrollment and prevalence differed across newly diagnosed individuals, second line therapy users, and previous defaulters (18%, 21%, 5%, p = 0.001). Odds of probable perinatal depression decreased over time (OR per month: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.82-0.92) but were higher among those newly diagnosed (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.59-6.65) and on second line therapy (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.44-7.99) as compared to previous defaulters. Odds of probable postpartum depression were lower for participants with high social support (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39). LIMITATIONS: Lack of diagnostic psychiatric evaluation precludes actual diagnosis of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Probable depression varied across the perinatal period and across treatment and retention groups. Social support was protective for postpartum depression among all participants. Depression screening and provision of social support should be considered in PMTCT programs.