Perinatal Depressive Symptoms, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Suppression, and the Underlying Role of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis in the IMPAACT P1025 Cohort

Background Women with HIV have higher risk of depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. Evidence on how perinatal depressive symptoms affect viral suppression (VS) and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains limited. Methods Perinatal depressive symptoms were assessed using 6 items from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Quality of Life questionnaire. VS (viral load
In this longitudinal analysis of pregnant and postpartum women with HIV, we found that perinatal depressive symptoms were associated with lower adherence and lower viral suppression.