The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated factors among adults on antiretroviral therapy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background Adults living with HIV (ALHIV) are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). Several factors are associated with an increase in MetS in these individuals, including certain antiretroviral therapies (ART). There is limited data on the prevalence of MetS among ALHIV in sub-Saharan Africa following scale up of newer integrase inhibitor-containing ART regimens. Objective We assessed the prevalence and correlates of MetS among ALHIV patients receiving tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir (TLD) in Tanzania. Methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of ALHIV aged > 18 enrolled in a cardiovascular health study at six HIV Care and Treatment Clinics from 11/2020-1/2021 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results, and logistic regression was used to assess demographic, behavioral, and HIV-related risk factors associated with MetS. Covariates with a p-value <0.2 at the univariate level were included in the multivariate model. Results Three hundred and eighty nine participants were included in the analysis. The mean age (SD) was 43 years (±11) years, and 286 (73.5%) were female. The prevalence of MetS in this population was 21%. In univariate analysis, MetS components that were significantly higher among women vs. men included abdominal obesity (27.3% vs. 4.9%), reduced HDL (77.9% vs. 53.4% ), and elevated glucose (18.5% vs. 14.6%), all p< 0.05. Age > 50 yrs [AOR 3.25; (95% CI 1.80-5.84), p < 0.01] and BMI [AOR 0.16; (95% CI 0.09-0.30), P < 0.01] were both associated with an increased odds of MetS in multivariate analyses. Conclusion MetS. is prevalent among Tanzanian ALHIV on TLD. Routine screening for MetS and healthy lifestyle promotion, particularly among women and those aging, should be a priority to prevent against cardiovascular disease. Further studies are needed to monitor the long-term impact of these newer ART regimens on MetS and CVD.

Perceived barriers and opportunities for implementing an integrated psychological intervention for depression in adolescents living with HIV in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have an increased risk of depression, negatively affecting their adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and treatment outcomes. Integrating mental health care in HIV care and treatment settings improves comprehensive care. However, integration remains challenging in Tanzania, like in other high-burden and low-resource settings. The overall objective of this work is to inform the development of a psychological intervention for depression in adolescents living with HIV (ALWHIV). We describe perceived barriers and opportunities for implementing an integrated, evidence-based psychological intervention to manage adolescent depression in HIV care and treatment centers (HIV-CTC) from the perspectives of adolescents, caregivers, and healthcare providers (HCPs) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: To inform intervention development and implementation, this study utilized a qualitative design through a phenomenological approach informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to explore implementation barriers and facilitators in ALWHIV, HCPs, and caregivers. Forty-five in-depth interviews were conducted in three HIV-CTCs in Kinondoni Dar es Salaam. Audio records were transcribed verbatim and analyzed deductively through NVIVO software. RESULTS: Barriers to implementing an integrated psychological intervention to address depression in ALWHIV included (A) poor mental health awareness among caregivers, adolescents, HCPs, and policy-makers, (B) high level of stigma against mental health care, (C) poor communication between adolescents and HCPs concerning mental health care, (D) lack of contextualized intervention of proven effectiveness and guidelines of mental health care, and (E) inadequate mental health care supportive supervision and mentorship. Facilitators for implementation included supportive infrastructure, positive pressure from HIV implementing partners, tension for change, and participant's perception of the advantage of a psychological intervention as compared to just usual HIV care and treatment counseling. CONCLUSION: Despite several modifiable barriers to implementing a psychological intervention in HIV CTC, there were encouraging facilitators and opportunities for implementing an integrated, evidence-based psychological intervention to address depression in ALWHIV in Kinondoni Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Generalized and COVID related anxiety as risk factors for health outcomes among adolescents with HIV during COVID-19 in Tanzania.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated prevention strategies caused widespread interruptions to care and treatment for people living with HIV. Adolescents living with HIV (AWHIV) were particularly vulnerable to poor mental and physical health during COVID-19. We assessed the burden of generalized and COVID-19-related anxiety and associations with adherence to HIV care and treatment and viral load suppression (VLS) among AWHIV during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among AWHIV aged 15-19 years attending 10 clinics in Dar es Salaam from April 2022-February 2023. Study participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), COVID-19-related anxiety, and other psychosocial and physical health and support measures. HIV visit adherence, viral load and sociodemographic data were abstracted from patient health records.Analysis:: Multivariable (MV) quasibinomial and logistic regression models examined associations of Generalized and COVID-19-related anxiety with visit adherence and HIV virologic suppression (HIV VL < 50 copies/mL). Data were analyzed using R software. Results: 658 AWHIV (52% male) were included in this analysis. Most (86%) had been on antiretroviral treatment (ART) for at least four years, 55% attended at least 75% of their scheduled clinic visits, and 78% were HIV virologically suppressed. The median GAD and COVID-19-related anxiety scores were 2 (IQR: 0-5, and 26 (IQR: 13-43; respectively. Only 2% scored moderate-severe generalized anxiety (score 10-21). We found no significant associations between COVID-19-related anxiety or GAD and visit adherence. Higher GAD was inversely associated with VLS (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.89 (95% CI 0.81, 0.98)). Female gender and higher quality of physical life were significantly associated with VLS. Conclusion: Low levels of generalized and COVID-19 related anxiety were reported among Tanzanian AWHIV. Integrating screening and management of generalized anxiety screening into HIV care for AWHIV could improve VLS among this population.

Fathers' mental health and coping strategies: a qualitative study in Mwanza, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the nature of paternal mental health problems, their causes and the coping strategies used by fathers of young children under the age of 2 years. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted in-depth interviews with fathers, mothers, community leaders and community health workers as well as focus group discussions with fathers-only, mothers-only and mixed groups of fathers and mothers. Respondents provided their perspectives on the psychosocial challenges affecting fathers and how fathers responded to their mental health problems. Data were triangulated across stakeholders and analysed using thematic content analysis. SETTING: The study was conducted in four communities in Mwanza, Tanzania. PARTICIPANTS: The total sample included 56 fathers, 56 mothers and 8 community stakeholders that were equally distributed across the four communities. RESULTS: Respondents highlighted a spectrum of mental health concerns affecting fathers, including elevated parenting stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Causes of paternal mental health problems included poverty, child-related concerns, marital problems and family illness. When asked about paternal coping strategies, both fathers and mothers shared that fathers mostly turned to negative coping strategies to manage their distress, such as paternal alcohol use and poor conflict resolution strategies. However, respondents also shared how some fathers used positive coping strategies, such as seeking out social support from their family and friends, engaging in exercise and leisure activities and relying on their faith. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study highlights the importance of supporting positive mental health among fathers. Our findings can inform the design of psychosocial programme components that can be integrated within parenting interventions to promote the well-being of specifically fathers and ultimately improve the family caregiving environment.

Sexual violence victimisation and response among university students in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual violence (SV) is highly prevalent among university campuses across the globe, despite of several initiatives implemented to address it. Several studies have been published focusing on various aspects of SV on campuses. However, no review has been retrieved from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Database, Cochrane Library or Ovid examining evidence synthesis on prevalence, risk factors, victims and perpetrators, policies, laws and universities responses to SV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review aims to map the existing literature on SV victimisation among university students in SSA, related response strategies, and identify gaps in the evidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will follow JBI guidelines and will be conducted from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023. A team of five reviewers will screen eligible documents and articles for relevance from various data sources including electronic databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and websites for government and agencies. Standard information for each study will be collected and a common analytical framework for all the primary documents will be conducted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will involve analysis of published data only and therefore does not require ethics approval. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. REGISTRATION: This review has been registered with the Open Science Framework.

Depressive symptoms among adolescents in six sub-Saharan African countries: A pooled analysis of associated factors.

There is a need to identify risk factors, including nutrition-related factors, for depressive disorders among sub-Saharan African (SSA) adolescents. We examined the association of multiple measures with depressive symptoms among adolescents living across six SSA countries. Building on previous analyses, we used data from a cross-sectional study conducted from 2015 to 2017 among adolescents aged 10-19 years in six SSA countries (N = 7512). Depressive symptoms were defined as highest tertile of the 6-item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale score. Using mixed-effects Poisson regression models, we pooled data across sites and examined the association of sociodemographic, nutrition, and other indices with depressive symptoms. We additionally assessed effect modification by sex, age, and school-going status. We observed higher risk of depressive symptoms among girls (adjusted risk ratio [RR]: 1.29, 95 % confidence interval [95 % CI]: 1.05-1.58, P = 0.016), older adolescents (RR for 18-19 years: 1.59, 95 % CI: 1.44-1.76, P < 0.001), and adolescents experiencing bullying (RR: 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.26-1.62, P < 0.001) or violence (RR: 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.24-1.45, P < 0.001). Adolescents experiencing food insecurity also had a higher risk of depressive symptoms (RR: 1.90, 95 % CI: 1.64-2.19, P < 0.001) along with those consuming ≥ 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day (RR: 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.03-1.34, P = 0.015); conversely, those who consumed grains, roots and tubers in the past day were at decreased risk (RR: 0.73, 95 % CI: 0.69-0.77, P < 0.001). There was no strong evidence of effect modification of associations. This study reinforces the potential role of multiple sociodemographic and nutrition-related measures on risk of depressive symptoms in these populations.

Translation and cultural adaptation of drug use stigma and HIV stigma measures among people who use drugs in Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: People who use drugs (PWUD) experience stigma from multiple sources due to their drug use. HIV seroprevalence for PWUD in Tanzania is estimated to range from 18 to 25%. So, many PWUD will also experience HIV stigma. Both HIV and drug use stigma have negative health and social outcomes, it is therefore important to measure their magnitude and impact. However, no contextually and linguistically adapted measures are available to assess either HIV or drug use stigma among PWUD in Tanzania. In response, we translated and culturally adapted HIV and drug use stigma measures among Tanzanian PWUD and described that process in this study. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. We translated and adapted existing validated stigma measures by following a modified version of Wild's ten steps for translation and adaptation. We also added new items on stigmatizing actions that were not included in the original measures. Following translation and back translation, we conducted 40 cognitive debriefs among 19 PWUD living with and 21 PWUD not living with HIV in Dar es Salaam to assess comprehension of the original and new items. For challenging items, we made adaptations and repeated cognitive debriefs among ten new PWUD participants where half of them were living with HIV. RESULTS: Most of the original items (42/54, 78%), response options and all items with new 12 stigmatizing actions were understood by participants. Challenges included response options for a few items; translation to Swahili; and differences in participants' interpretation of Swahili words. We made changes to these items and the final versions were understood by PWUD participants. CONCLUSION: Drug use and HIV stigma measures can successfully be translated and culturally adapted among Tanzanian PWUD living with and without HIV. We are currently conducting research to determine the stigma measures' psychometric properties and we will report the results separately.

Mental Health Information Reporting Assistant (MHIRA)-an open-source software facilitating evidence-based assessment for clinical services.

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) in mental health is a critical aspect of improving patient outcomes and addressing the gaps in mental health care. EBA involves the use of psychometric instruments to gather data that can inform clinical decision-making, inform policymakers, and serve as a basis for research and quality management. Despite its potential, EBA is often hindered by barriers such as workload and cost, leading to its underutilization. Regarding low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the implementation of EBA is recognized as a key strategy to address and close the prevalent mental health treatment gap.To simplify the application of EBA including in LMIC, an international team of researchers and practitioners from Tanzania, Kosovo, Chile, and Switzerland developed the Mental Health Information Reporting Assistant (MHIRA). MHIRA is an open-source electronic health record that streamlines EBA by digitising psychometric instruments and organising patient data in a user-friendly manner. It provides immediate and convenient reports to inform clinical decision-making.The current article provides a comprehensive overview of the features and technical details of MHIRA, as well as insights from four implementation scenarios. The experience gained during the implementations as well as the user-feedback suggests that MHIRA has the potential to be successfully implemented in a variety of clinical contexts and simplify the use of EBA. However, further research is necessary to establish its potential to sustainably transform healthcare services and impact patient outcomes.In conclusion, MHIRA represents an important step in promoting the widespread adoption of EBA in mental health. It offers a promising solution to the barriers that have limited the use of EBA in the past and holds the potential to improve patient outcomes and support the ongoing efforts to address gaps in mental health care.

Hopefulness among individuals living with schizophrenia and their caregivers in Tanzania: an actor-partner interdependence model.

BACKGROUND: Hopefulness is a positive orientation or state of mind that can aid in the recovery and treatment of mental illness, as it can have significant impacts on clinical and psychosocial outcomes. As resource-constrained settings work to implement recovery-oriented care, there is a need to better understand hopefulness among people living with schizophrenia (PLWS) and caregivers in their extended family networks. This study seeks to examine the dyadic relationship of hopefulness and its associated correlates among PLWS attending outpatient psychiatric clinics and their caregivers in Tanzania. METHODS: This study utilized baseline and immediate post-intervention data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial testing a culturally tailored model of Family Psychoeducation, KUPAA, in Tanzania. The Herth Hope Index was used to measure hopefulness among PLWS (n = 33) and their caregivers (n = 33) at baseline and immediate post-intervention. Univariable and multivariable regression models were conducted to determine correlates of hopefulness at baseline, while the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was employed to examine the longitudinal, dyadic relationship of hopefulness among and between PLWS and their caregivers. RESULTS: Better family functioning was associated with higher levels of hopefulness in PLWS and their caregivers. Lower levels of stigma, lower symptom severity, and lower disability were associated with higher levels of hopefulness in PLWS. For PLWS and their caregivers, actor effects from the APIM model were less than one (PLWS, [Formula: see text]; caregivers, [Formula: see text]), indicating stability (within each person) in hopefulness over time. Regarding partner effects, a caregiver's baseline hopefulness had a positive effect on the hopefulness of their PLWS at follow-up ([Formula: see text]). This indicates that higher caregiver hope at time 0 is associated with higher levels of hope in PLWS at time 1. Baseline hopefulness levels for PLWS had a negative effect on caregivers' hopefulness at follow-up ([Formula: see text]). This suggests that higher hopefulness among PLWS at baseline is associated with lower levels of hope in caregivers at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Hopefulness is important to consider in family or caregiver-based treatments for PLWS because caregiver hopefulness may influence improvements in hopefulness among PLWS over time. Future studies should further explore the longitudinal dyadic relationship of hopefulness for these populations, as hope is a non-pharmacological and modifiable mechanism of change that is underutilized in care and treatment plans for PLWS globally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials #NCT04013932, July 10, 2019.

Brief Report: Task-Shifting "Gold Standard" Clinical Assessment and Safety Planning for Suicide Risk Among People Living With HIV: A Feasibility and Fidelity Evaluation in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide, with suicide deaths occurring twice as frequently among PLWH than among the general public. In Tanzania, resources for mental health care are sorely lacking, with 55 psychiatrists and psychologists providing treatment for 60 million people. In light of this shortage, nonspecialists play a crucial role. The objective of this study was to assess feasibility of implementing task-shifted screening, assessment, and safety planning for suicide risk among PLWH. SETTING: Two adult HIV clinics in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. METHODS: Registered professional nurses in the HIV clinics were trained to administer brief screening of suicidal ideation in the past month. Patients experiencing suicidal ideation were referred to bachelor's-level counselors for further assessment and safety planning, supervised by specialist providers who reviewed audio recordings for quality assurance. RESULTS: During 180 days of implementation, nurses screened patients attending 2745 HIV appointments. Sixty-one (2.2%) endorsed suicidal ideation and were linked to further assessment and safety planning. We cross-checked screening with clinic attendance logs on 7 random days and found high fidelity to screening (206 of 228 screened, 90%). Quality assurance ratings demonstrated key assessment pieces were consistently completed (mean = 9.3/10 possible), with "Good" to "Excellent" counseling skills (mean = 23.7/28) and "Good" to "Excellent" quality (mean = 17.1/20), including appropriate referral for higher levels of care. CONCLUSIONS: Brief screening can be implemented and paired with task-shifted counseling to facilitate high-quality assessment of suicide risk. This model shows excellent potential to extend mental health services for PLWH in low-resource settings.

Adapting and usability testing of the Kansas city cardiomyopathy questionnaire (KCCQ) in a heart failure clinic in Tanzania: the Swahili KCCQ.

BACKGROUND: The integration of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) into health care delivery systems is being increasingly recognized as an important component of quality, person-centered care, especially for chronic illnesses like congestive heart failure (CHF). However, while PROMS are increasingly being used to follow up CHF patients in high income countries, their use in sub-Saharan Africa is still limited. We adapted the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-23), an internationally validated, CHF-specific PROM and tested its use in measuring outcomes in an outpatient CHF clinic at a cardiac referral hospital in Tanzania. METHODS: Adaptation of the KCCQ-23 included translation into Swahili by linguistic experts, in-depth cognitive debriefing in native Swahili-speaking CHF patients, and input from Tanzanian Cardiologists, PROMS experts, and the tool developer. Using a cross-sectional design, we tested the usability and observed the results of the translated KCCQ-23 in a convenience sample of 60 CHF patients attending outpatient clinic at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) in Dar es Salaam. RESULTS: The survey was successfully completed by 59 (98.3%) of 60 enrolled participants. The mean (SD) age of participants was 54.9 (14.8) years (range 22-83), 30.5% were women and 72.2% had class 3 or 4 New York Heart Association (NYHA) symptoms at enrollment. The overall KCCQ-23 score was low, with a mean (SD) score of 21.7 (20.4) indicating generally very poor to poor patient reported outcomes in this population. The mean (SD) scores for the specific KCCQ-23 domains were 15.25 (24.2) for social limitation, 23.8 (27.4) for physical limitation, 27.1 (24.1) for quality of life and 40.7 (17.0) for self-efficacy. No socio-demographic or clinical characteristics were associated with their overall KCCQ-23 scores. Comparing the short version (KCCQ-12) with the full KCCQ-23 revealed excellent correlation between the two (r = 0.95; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We successfully translated a validated tool, the Swahili KCCQ, for use in improving the care of patients with CHF in Tanzania and a broader population of Swahili-speaking patients. Both the Swahili KCCQ-12 and KCCQ-23 can be used, with similar outcomes. Work to expand the use of the tool in the clinic and other settings is planned.

Patient reported experience measures on HIV viral load testing at public health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A convergent mixed method study.

While viral load (VL) testing is critical to effective treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), little is known about patients' experiences with, and barriers to VL-testing in the context of HIV infection. We assessed patient reported experience measures (PREMs) on VL-testing in public HIV clinics in Tanzania. In a cross-sectional convergent mixed method study, we collected information on VL test related PREMs, clinical and sociodemographic factors. PREMs were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) explored on experience, access, and barriers to VL-testing. Descriptive statistics summarized patients' factors and PREMs. Logistic regression was used to explore association of patient factors, PREMs and satisfaction with VL-testing services. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. A total of 439 (96.48%) respondents completed the survey, 331 (75.40%) were female, median (IQR) age was 41(34, 49) years. A total of 253(57.63%) had a VL test at least once in the past 12 months, of whom 242(96.0%) had VL<1000 copies/ml. Investigating barriers to VL-testing, most participants (>92.0%) reported good or very good health services responsiveness (HSR). A scale of very good was chosen by the majority for being treated with respect 174(39.6%), listened to 173(39.4%), following advice 109(24.8%), being involved in decisions 101(23.0%), and for communication 102(23.3%). Satisfaction on VL-testing services was significantly associated with respondents following care providers' advice, (aOR) = 2.07 [95%CI 1.13-3.78], involvement in decisions aOR = 4.16 [95%CI 2.26-7.66], and communication aOR = 2.27 [95%CI 1.25-4.14]. FGDs findings converged with the survey data, with identified barriers to VL test including lack of autonomy in decision making, little awareness on the benefits of the test, long waiting time, stigma, competing priorities for those with comorbidities and transport costs. Satisfaction on VL-testing was largely a result of involvement in decision making, following care provider's advice and good communication; entities needing universal improvement across the country.

Prevalence of Depression and Suicidal Ideation and Associated Risk Factors in Adolescents Receiving Care and Treatment for Hiv/Aids at a Tertiary Health Facility in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.

Background: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a significant health concern worldwide since the first case emerged in the early 1980's. Most of the HIV disease burden is in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Depression and suicidal ideation have been found to be higher among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) than persons not infected with HIV. Adolescents living with HIV/AIDS (ALWH) are more at risk of suffering from depression and suicidal ideation than their unaffected peers. Factors such as social demographics, poor social support and HIV related stigma have been found to be significantly associated with depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. Moreover, depression and suicidal ideation may lead to poor ART adherence, lower viral load suppression and development of opportunistic infections. Few studies have evaluated the mental health of ALWH in SSA. However, these studies do not provide information on the magnitude of suicidality among this population subgroup despite them being at high risk. Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation and explore associated risk factors in adolescents receiving care and treatment for HIV/AIDS at a tertiary health facility in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Materials and methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study using quantitative approach was conducted. Adolescents receiving care and treatment for HIV/AIDS in a youth clinic at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) were sampled. Data collection on depression was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A). A semi-structured questionnaire captured the socio-demographic and clinical information characteristics of the participants, also included a short version of the HIV Stigma Scale measured HIV-related stigma, a social support measure (Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS)) and a locally developed Hope Scale assessed hopefulness. Captured data were analyzed using SPSS version 23; Frequency distributions described the participants' sociodemographic characteristics. Chi-Square test established the univariate association between the independent and the dependent variables. While analysis to identify independent risk factors of suicidality and depression was used a multivariate logistic regression model. Associated risk factors and the strengths of association are summarized using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Ethical clearance was obtained from MUHAS Senate Research and Publications Committeeand permission sought from the administration of KCMC. Results: A total 170 adolescents were studied, 96 (56.5%) were females while 74 (43.5%) were males. Mean age (standard deviation) of participants was 15 (2.2) years. The prevalence of depression was 15.9% and that of suicidal ideation was 31.2%. Based on univariate analysis relatively high levels of HIV-related stigma and lower levels of hope were significantly associated with depression and suicidal ideation. From multivariable analyses adolescents with low levels of hope were 9.2 times more likely to develop depression compared to those with high levels of hope (OR, 9.21, 95% CI: 2.16-39.32).Participants who experienced high levels of HIV-related stigma were 2.7 times more likely to have suicidal ideation compared to those with lower levels (OR, 2.7, 95% CI: 1.01-7.37). Furthermore, participants with low levels of hope were also 3.8 times more likely to have suicidal ideation compared to those with high levels (OR, 3.84, 95% CI: 1.50-9.84). Conclusion and recommendation: This study reveals depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents living with HIV to be 16% and 31% respectively. High levels of stigma and low hope were identified as risk factors.Further studies need to be done to evaluate the mental health of adolescents living with HIV and integration of mental health services in the clinic providing services for these adolescents.

Development of a Psychological Intervention to Improve Depressive Symptoms and Enhance Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

Background: Interventions that simultaneously target depression and antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence are recommended for improving HIV treatment outcomes and quality of life for adolescents living with HIV. However, evidence is scarce on culturally feasible and acceptable interventions that can be implemented for HIV-positive adolescents in Tanzania. We, therefore, developed a manualized brief psychological intervention that utilizes evidence-based strategies to address depression and ART adherence in adolescents living with HIV in Tanzania. Methods: We used the Theory of Change Enhanced Medical Research Council framework (TOCMRC) for developing complex interventions in health care to develop the intervention in five phases. First, the literature was reviewed to identify potential intervention components. Second, we conducted a situational analysis using qualitative interviews with adolescents living with HIV, health care providers, and caregivers. Third, we conducted a mental health expert workshop; and fourth, theory of change workshops with representatives from the Ministry of Health, mental health professionals, HIV implementing partners, adolescents, and healthcare providers. Lastly, we synthesized results to finalize the intervention and a theory of change map showing the causal pathway for how we expect the developed intervention to achieve its impact. Results: Adolescents living with HIV in Tanzania experience several unmet mental health needs ranging from overwhelming depressive symptoms to not feeling understood by healthcare providers who lack mental health knowledge. Participants perceived psychological intervention that utilizes a task-shifting approach to be acceptable and beneficial to addressing those problems. The novel components of the NITUE intervention included incorporating evidence-based intervention components, namely, cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and problem solving. In addition, caregiver inclusion in the treatment was essential to ensure access to care, compliance, and improved outcomes. Conclusions: A culturally appropriate brief psychological intervention that utilizes a task-shifting approach to address depression and medication adherence for adolescents living with HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was developed. The intervention will be piloted for appropriateness, feasibility, and acceptability and will provide material for a future trial to determine its effectiveness.

A peer-facilitated psychological group intervention for perinatal women living with HIV and depression in Tanzania-Healthy Options: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal women living with HIV (PWLH) have a greater risk of depression compared to other women; however, there are limited specialized mental health services available to them. We aimed to determine whether a stepped-care intervention facilitated by trained lay providers can improve mental health outcomes postpartum for PWLH. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Healthy Options is a cluster-randomized controlled study conducted in 16 government-managed antenatal care clinics that provided HIV care for pregnant women in urban Tanzania. Recruitment occurred from May 2015 through April 2016, with the final round of data collection completed in October 2017. Participants included a consecutive sample of pregnant women under 30 weeks of gestation, living with HIV and depression, and attending the study clinics. Control sites received enhanced usual care for depression (EUDC). Intervention sites received EUDC plus the Healthy Options intervention, which includes prenatal group sessions of problem-solving therapy (PST) plus cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions for individuals showing depressive symptoms at 6 weeks postdelivery. We assessed depressive symptoms comparable to major depressive disorder (MDD) using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with a locally validated cutoff at 9 months and 6 weeks postpartum. The primary time point is 9 months postpartum. We examined differences in outcomes using an intent-to-treat analysis with a complete case approach, meaning those with data at the relevant time point were included in the analysis. We used generalized estimating equations accounting for clustering. Of 818 women screened using the PHQ-9, 742 were determined eligible and enrolled (395 intervention; 347 control); 649 women (87.5%) participated in the first follow-up and 641 women (86.4%) in the second. A majority (270, 74.6%) of women in the intervention arm attended 5 or more PST sessions. Women enrolled in Healthy Options demonstrated a 67% (RR 0.33; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.51; p-value: <0.001; corresponding to a 25.7% difference in absolute risk) lower likelihood of depressive symptoms than women in control clusters at 6 weeks postpartum. At 9 months postpartum, women enrolled in Healthy Options demonstrated a nonsignificant 26% (RR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.3; p-value: 0.281; corresponding to a 3.2% difference in absolute risk) lower likelihood of depressive symptoms than women in control clusters. Study limitations include not using diagnostic interviews to measure depression and not blinding data collectors to intervention status during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The Healthy Options intervention did not demonstrate reduction in depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum, the primary outcome. Significant reductions were seen in depression symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum, the secondary outcome. Stepped-care interventions may be relevant for improving outcomes in the critical early postpartum window. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial registration number (closed to new participants) NCT02039973.

Using Evidence-Based Pedagogical Approaches to Pivot from In-Person to Online Training in a D43 Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to medical education globally. Fogarty International Center (FIC) training programs, designed to strengthen research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), through partnerships between United States and LMIC institutions were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 disruptions. We adapted short-term training for our FIC HIV Patient-Centered Outcomes Research program in Tanzania to the virtual environment using synchronous, asynchronous, and blended approaches and a variety of teaching pedagogies. We evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of the new trainings among trainees and facilitators using a mixed-methods approach. Ninety percent of trainees and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) facilitators agreed that the virtual training methods used were effective. Trainees reported high levels of satisfaction with the technology, group work, and relevance to their research. More than 50% of trainees and MUHAS facilitators agreed that learning in the virtual environment was as effective as, or more effective than, traditional in-person learning. However, they desired more interaction, opportunities to ask U.S. facilitators questions, and choices about topics for online versus in-person trainings. Two-thirds of U.S. facilitators agreed that the virtual delivery method was an effective way for participants to learn the material, although they also rated interaction less favorably. Virtual training incorporating pedagogical best practices of blended learning and traditional teaching online was a feasible, acceptable, and effective way of conducting research training to junior scientists during COVID-19. Virtual learning could become an integral part of post-pandemic training with some adaptation to improve interactions.

Digital use of standardised assessment tools for children and adolescents: can available paper-based questionnaires be used free of charge in electronic format?

QUESTION: Most adolescents live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and about 10% of them face mental problems. The mental health provision gap in low- and middle-income countries could be addressed by evidence-based practices, however costs are implementational barriers. Digitalization can improve the accessibility of these tools and constitutes a chance for LMIC to use them more easily at a low cost. We reviewed free and brief evidence-based mental health assessment tools available for digital use to assess psychopathology across different domains in youth. METHODS: For the current study, instruments from a recent review on paper-based instruments were re-used. Additionally, a systematic search was conducted to add instruments for the personality disorder domain. We searched and classified the copyright and license terms available from the internet in terms of free usage and deliverability in a digital format. In the case that this information was insufficient, we contacted the authors. RESULTS: In total, we evaluated 109 instruments. Of these instruments, 53 were free and digitally usable covering 11 mental health domains. However, retrieving information on copyright and license terms was very difficult. CONCLUSIONS: Free and digitally adaptable instruments are available, supporting the strategy of using instruments digitally to increase access. The instrument's authors support this initiative, however, the lack of copyright information and the difficulties in contacting the authors and licence holders are barriers to using this strategy in LMIC. A comprehensive, online instrument repository for clinical practice would be an appropriate next step to make the instruments more accessible and reduce implementation barriers.

Prevalence and determinants of non-communicable diseases including depression among HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are experiencing growing co-morbidities due to an increase in life expectancy and the use of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). The lack of integrated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) screening and management at the HIV care and treatment centres (CTCs) make it difficult to determine the trends of NCD co-morbidity among patients with HIV. This study aimed to assess the burden and determinants of common NCDs, including depression among patients with HIV. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study of 1318 HIV patients enrolled using systematic random sampling conducted from April to November 2020. Five large CTCs in district referral hospitals were selected representing the five districts of Dar es Salaam including Mwananyamala, Temeke, and Amana regional referral hospitals and Sinza and Vijibweni hospitals. The study population consisted of adult PLHA aged 18 years and above. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of NCDs among HIV patients. Observation of actual NCD medications or their purchase receipts or booked NCD clinic appointments that PLHA had during the study period was used to verify the reported presence of NCDs. The secondary outcome measure was the prevalence of probable depression among PLHA. The locally validated Swahili Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depressive symptom severity. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with common NCDs and those associated with probable depression. Potential risk factors that were statistically significant at a P-value of 0.2 or less in univariable analysis were included as potential confounders in multivariable models. RESULTS: The median age of participants was 42 (IQR 35-49) years, with 32.7% in the 36-45 years age group. The majority of patients were women (69%). Most (80.5%) had achieved HIV viral (VL) suppression (a serum HIV VL of <1000 copies/ml). Overall, 14.3% of self-reported an NCD with evidence of their current medication for the NCD from receipts for medication purchased and appointments from NCD clinics they attended. In the multivariable analyses, higher odds of NCDs were in older patients (>45 years) and those with a weight above 75 kg (P < 0.05). Male patients had 51% reduced odds of NCDs (aOR 0.49; 95% CI: 0.32-0.74) than females (P < 0.001). Probable depression prevalence was 11.8%, and depressed patients had more than twice the odds of having NCDs than those without depression (aOR 2.26; 95% CI: 1.45-3.51; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study determined co-existing previously diagnosed NCDs among PLHA accessing care and high levels of depressive symptom severity. We recommend additional research on the feasibility, acceptability, and cost implications of screening and treating NCDs on HIV care platforms to provide evidence for Tanzania's integrated HIV/NCD care model.

Burden of HIV-related stigma and associated factors among women living with depression accessing PMTCT services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

HIV-related stigma represents a potent risk factor for a range of poor health outcomes, including mental health symptoms, treatment non-adherence, and substance use. Understanding the role of HIV-related stigma in promoting healthcare outcomes is critical for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women living with HIV, in contexts with continued high rates of HIV and associated stigma, such as sub-Saharan Africa. The current study examined a range of risk and protective factors for HIV-related stigma with 742 pregnant women (M age = 29.6 years) living with depression and HIV accessing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Risk factors included depressive symptoms, ART non-adherence, intimate partner violence, food insecurity, and alcohol problems. Protective factors included disclosure of HIV status, social support, an appreciative relationship with their partner, hope, and self-efficacy. Findings highlight key psychosocial and behavioral determinants of HIV-related stigma for pregnant women living with HIV in Tanzania, and can inform perinatal care programming and interventions to optimize mental health and adherence outcomes.

An interventional pilot of customized adherence enhancement combined with long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication (CAE-L) for poorly adherent patients with chronic psychotic disorder in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Chronic psychotic disorders (CPD) impose a particularly significant burden in resource-limited settings. Combining long-acting antipsychotic medication (LAI) with a customized adherence enhancement intervention (CAE-L) has potential to advance care. METHODS: Nineteen adults ≥ age 18 with CPD who self-reported missing ≥20% of antipsychotic medication within the last month were stabilized on oral haloperidol prior to transitioning to monthly haloperidol decanote for 25 weeks. Outcome evaluations were conducted at baseline and Week 25. Primary outcomes were oral medication adherence assessed via the Tablet Routines Questionnaire (TRQ) and LAI injection frequency. Secondary outcomes included CPD symptoms measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Clinical Global Impressions, functioning evaluated using the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale, and medication attitudes assessed with the Drug Attitudes Inventory. RESULTS: Mean sample age was 38.79 (SD = 9.31) with 18 individuals completing the study. There was one serious adverse event, a relapse into substance use, not deemed study-related. Mean endpoint LAI dosage was 65.79 mg (SD = 22.38). TRQ mean scores were 21.84 (SD =13.83) and 12.94 (SD = 11.93) at screen and baseline respectively. For only two individuals who were on concomitant oral medication at 25 weeks, TRQ change was not calculated. LAI injection frequency was 100%. Medication attitudes scores significantly improved from 7.89 (SD = 2.72) to 9.83 (SD = 0.52) (p = .001.) Changes in CPD symptoms and functioning were non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: CAE-L appears to be preliminarily feasible and acceptable in Tanzanians with CPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04327843) on March 31, 2020.