Relación Entre Variables Psicosociales y la Adherencia al Tratamiento Antirretroviral en Pacientes con VIH de la Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas del Hospital Santo Tomás en la Ciudad de Panamá, entre los años 2022 y 2024

Abstract

Introduction: HIV/AIDS remains one of the deadliest infections globally, impacting 39.9 million people in 2023, with 2.7 million cases in Latin America and the Caribbean. Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is crucial for effectively controlling the disease. In the Americas and the Caribbean, the epidemic disproportionately affects certain groups, including individuals with mental health conditions, social vulnerabilities, and those facing stigma—factors that complicate adherence to treatment. Objective: Establish the relationship between stigma, quality of life and psychosocial variables with adherence to antiretroviral treatment in patients with VIH the Infection Disease Clinic of the Hospital Santo Tomás in the City of Panama, between the years 2022 and 2024. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted, involving 100 adult patients who had been on the ART program at the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Santo Tomás Hospital for over 6 months. The patients were divided into two groups: a group of participants adherent to treatment (n=50) and a non-adherent group (n=50). Different scales were used to measure the different variables. The Berger Stigma Scale in HIV patients was used to measure stigma. Quality of life was measured with Vilagut's SF-36 scale. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy was obtained with the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ) scale and finally the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale was used to measure depression, and the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) to measure anxiety. Additionally, participants filled out a survey to assess sociodemographic variables. Results: Participants not adhering to treatment were significantly younger and reported significantly greater internal stigmatization, as well as more symptoms of depression and anxiety. Non-adherent participants reported significantly lower physical function, physical role, bodily pain, general health, vitality, vitality, social function, emotional role, and mental health compared to adherent participants. However, no significant v differences were found when comparing adherers and non-adherers in terms of distance from housing to clinic, time with HIV, completed academic degree, monthly income, and perceived external stigmatization. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of assessing stigma, depression, and anxiety levels in new patients to ensure better follow-up care. Additionally, these findings provide valuable insights for developing interventions that target these factors, which could enhance treatment adherence. This study lays the groundwork for designing and evaluating the effectiveness of such interventions.