REAL-WORLD OUTCOMES, SAFETY AND DETERMINANTS OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION USE AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN THE NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Timi Fiekumo Buseri1, Wariowei Boutuaere Otogie2, Peter Pereotubo Akpe, Owonaro A. Peter*, Ibegi, Ibegi Saviour, Olodiama, Providencia Chichi, Henry Messiah TMT, Osain P Henry

ABSTRACT

Background. Antidepressants and antipsychotics can improve outcomes for peopleliving with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), but real-world evidence on their effectiveness,safety, cost and quality-of-life impact—and on the factors that drive their use—islimited in low- and middle-income countries. Objective. To evaluate the perceivedoutcomes, safety and quality-of-life impact of psychotropic medication amongPLWHA in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, and to identify determinants of their use. Methods.A cross-sectional study of 336 PLWHA at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa,included 77 psychotropic users analysed in detail. Associations betweenpsychotropic use and outcomes were tested with chi-square; an independentsamplest-test compared the antidepressant (fluoxetine) and antipsychotic(haloperidol–olanzapine) groups; and multiple linear regression assessed the jointcontribution of socio-demographic variables. Significance was set at 0.05. Results.Most antidepressant users rated their therapy very effective (58.4%), very safe(71.4%) and very positive for quality of life (62.3%); associations with effectiveness,safety, cost and quality of life were all statistically significant (p < 0>drug groups differed significantly on the measured outcome (t = –6.873, p < 0>Socio-demographic variables jointly explained only 6.8% of the variance inpsychotropic use and were not significant predictors (F = 0.543, p > 0.05).Conclusion. Psychotropic therapy was associated with favourable self-reportedoutcomes, and the differences between drug groups reflected distinct clinicalindications rather than relative superiority. Socio-demographic factors were weakpredictors of use, pointing to clinical need and health-system factors as the principaldrivers.

Keywords:

HIV/AIDS; antidepressants; antipsychotics; treatment outcomes;
quality of life; determinants; Nigeria.

Full Text Article