HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices amongst patients with severe mental illnesses and chronic medical illnesses in Durban, South Africa

South African Journal of Psychiatry

 
 
Field Value
 
Title HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices amongst patients with severe mental illnesses and chronic medical illnesses in Durban, South Africa
 
Creator Matshoba, Thembeka Mashaphu, Sibongile Tomita, Andrew Paruk, Saeeda
 
Subject Psychiatry;General medicine HIV; human immunodeficiency virus; AIDS; acquired immune deficiency; knowledge; attitude; practices; South Africa
Description Background: Studies exploring HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) have suggested their poorer knowledge about HIV. In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa (SA), the epicentre of the country’s HIV epidemic, improving KAP is essential for reduce its incidence amongst individuals with SMI. Comparing the KAP related to HIV between those with SMI and chronic medical illnesses (CMI) such as hypertension and diabetes may expose gaps in KAP related to HIV in the mentally ill who are more vulnerable to HIV.Aim: This study aimed to compare the KAP related to HIV between people living with SMI and CMI.Setting: Outpatient clinics in Durban, SA.Methods: A cross-sectional structured questionnaire survey was conducted amongst 214 adult outpatients with SMI and CMI attending two general public sector hospitals in Durban, KZN. The KAP questionnaire consisted of three sections: general information, prevention and transmission of HIV.Results: Interviews were conducted with 124 patients with SMI and 90 with CMI. Most were female (69.5%), single (57.5%) and unemployed (59.4%). The diagnosis of SMI was associated with poorer general information of HIV (p = 0.02), but not with its prevention and transmission compared with those with CMI. Educational level was associated with poorer performance in all three domains: general information of HIV (p = 0.01), prevention (p = 0.01) and transmission (p = 0.02) amongst all the participants.Conclusion: Gaps in the KAP of HIV amongst individuals with SMI compared with those with CMI suggested a need to provide focused health promotion regarding sexual health and HIV to the mentally ill at psychiatric facilities.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2021-06-28
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v27i0.1586
 
Source South African Journal of Psychiatry; Vol 27 (2021); 8 pages 2078-6786 1608-9685
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1586/2207 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1586/2208 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1586/2209 https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1586/2210
 
Coverage South Africa; Kwazulu Natal,Durban October 2017-April 2018 18-65 years old; Any gender; Psychiatric outpatients; Medical outpatients
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Thembeka Matshoba, Sibongile Mashaphu, Andrew Tomita, Saeeda Paruk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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