Barriers to accessing mental healthcare amongst older people with HIV
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the contributors to depression, and barriers and enablers to accessing support and treatment to manage depression, among older people with HIV in England?
IRAS ID
304430
Contact name
Fiona Burns
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2024/06/194 , UCL Data Protection Number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Depression is a major cause of disability in the UK, with a significant negative impact on well-being, daily functioning, mortality and service-utilisation, and the leading risk factor for suicide among older people. Amongst people with HIV, depression further negatively impacts ART adherence, virological suppression, immune control and mortality; depression therefore poses a serious threat to the current success of HIV treatment and has the potential to lead to increased disease progression. Yet symptoms of depression can be successfully managed in some people with HIV and in turn, lead to an improvement in treatment adherence.
Research in the general population suggests that the multi-faceted stigmatisation resulting from the negative attitude to both old age and depression, affects the ability of older individuals to seek and access care for depressive symptoms. Unlike many other illnesses, HIV intersects with long-standing social issues, including sexuality, drug abuse, socio-economic status, ethnicity and gender leading to HIV-related stigmas. Therefore, in addition to the relationship between HIV and stigma, older people with HIV also have to handle stigmas associated with their health or social conditions. There are currently no data on the experiences of older people living with HIV to provide insight on the impact of HIV on the ability to access care for depression.
In this study, I will employ an intersectional approach to understand the experiences of older people living with HIV when they attempt to access support for depression and the experiences of clinicians as they treat and manage this growing population, to support recommendations and guidelines and ensure optimal access to the most effective management for people with HIV and depression.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0734
Date of REC Opinion
6 Dec 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion