Investigating depression over time in HIV-positive and HIV-negative menopausal women

Abstract

The present study sought to investigate depression over time in HIV-positive menopausal women and HIV-negative menopausal women who are at risk for HIV. Menopause status and HIV status will be explored as contributing factors to depression in this sample.;Two hundred and fifty-six women (HIV-negative:122; HIV-positive:134) from different racial backgrounds, age range 35-61 years, enrolled in the Menopause Study, a multisite longitudinal study. Seven self-administered follow-up questionnaires, assessing depression using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), menopausal status, and demographics, were completed. Analytical methods included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (e.g., sequential logistic regression).;CES-D scores did not change over time in HIV-positive and HIV-negative cases. However, there was a significant difference in CES-D scores at each time point, with HIV-negative women exhibiting higher CES-D scores than did HIV-positive women. There was no interaction effect between menopause status and HIV status on depression scores. For HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, taking psychiatric medications in the past six months was a predictor of depression. Premenopausal and perimenopausal categories were the best predictors of CES-D scores in HIV-negative women.;The finding that HIV-negative, as compared to HIV-positive, menopausal women exhibited higher depression scores indicates that this group, who are at risk for contracting HIV, should receive routine depression screenings.