Prevalence of depression in people with HIV and AIDS in Iran: A systematic review

Depression is the most common mental disorder in individuals with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), and comorbidity with depression exacerbates the disease. Several studies have estimated the prevalence of depression in HIV and AIDS patients so far, but there is no consensus about the prevalence of depression among these patients. Thus, we aimed at estimating the overall prevalence of depression among Iranian PLWHA.

The international and national databases including Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, Science Direct, MagIran, Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex, and Medlib were searched until June 2016. The quality of included studies was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Out of 591 references, 9 cross-sectional studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The lowest and highest reported prevalence of depression among people with HIV was 22% (95% CI: (11, 33)) and 76% (95% CI: (71, 81)), respectively. Prevalence of depression in people with HIV in the north, west, and south of Iran was 45% (95% CI: (23, 67)), 30% (95% CI: (15, 45)), and 56% (95% CI: (35, 77)), respectively. Prevalence of depression among addict and non-addict patients was 25% (95% CI: (21, 30)) and 58% (95% CI: (40, 77)), respectively.

According to the results of this systematic review, the prevalence of depression is considerable among Iranian PLWHA. Prevalence in the southern regions of Iran is more than the western and northern regions of Iran. This evidence may be useful for Iranian health policymakers to design suitable preventive and therapeutic interventions in PLWHA to prevent and control depression among these people in Iran.