Training Years: 2016-2017
Training Site: UNC Project-Malawi
Country: Malawi
Mentor: Mina Hosseinipour, MD, MPH; Brian Pence, PhD
Title: The effect of stressful events and depression on HIV outcomes in pregnant women in Malawi
Project Objectives:
Aim 1: Assess the burden and timing of stressful life events (SLEs) and depression in women enrolled in the Option B+ program, in which HIV-infected pregnant women are eligible for lifelong efavirenz-based ART regardless of their immune status.
Aim 1a: Characterize the frequency and types of SLEs
Aim 1b: Measure prevalent (at enrollment) and incident depression through 12 months postpartum
Aim 2: Investigate the relationship between SLEs, depression, and loss to follow up
Hypothesis 2a: a higher number of SLEs during the antenatal period will be associated with earlier loss to follow up (LTFU) postpartum
Hypothesis 2b: women with prenatal and early postnatal depressive symptoms will have higher LTFU during the postpartum period
Aim 3: Examine the association of SLEs and depression with viral load suppression
Hypothesis 3a: in women who are newly initiating ART, a higher number of cumulative SLEs will be associated with lower likelihood of viral load suppression at 6 and 12 months after ART initiation
Hypothesis 3b: women with antenatal and early postpartum depressive symptoms will have a lower likelihood of viral load suppression than women without depressive symptoms.
NIH Support: Fulbright- Fogarty fellowship doctoral training award
