Socio-ecological factors associated with depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt among female injection drug users who are sex workers in China.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2014;
144:102-10. [PMID:
25236890 PMCID:
PMC5581303 DOI:
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.08.011]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 08/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Female injection drug users who are also sex workers (FSW-IDUs) occupy a pivotal population in HIV transmission, whereas their mental health problems are largely overlooked. We aimed to investigate prevalence and associated socio-ecological factors of depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts among FSW-IDUs in China.
METHODS
Using snowball sampling methods, 200 FSW-IDUs were recruited from communities in Liuzhou, China. Anonymous face-to-face interviews were administered by trained doctors.
RESULTS
Thirty-nine percent of participants had severe or extremely severe depression, 44.7% had suicidal ideation in the last six months and 26.8% had suicidal attempts in the last six months. After adjusting for background variables, self-stigma was significantly associated with severe or extremely severe depression (OR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31). Self-stigma (OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15), depression (OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.05-1.18), having completely broken up with family (OR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.35-5.02) and having been abused by clients or gatekeepers (OR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.32-3.50) were associated with suicidal ideation in the last six months, while self-stigma (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.10-1.16), depression (OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.04-1.20) and being abused by clients or gatekeepers (OR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.09-4.24) were associated with suicidal attempt in the last six months. In mediation analyses, the associations between self-stigma and the two suicidal outcomes were fully mediated by depression.
CONCLUSIONS
There are unmet mental health needs of FSW-IDUs. Screening of mental health problems should be integrated into current HIV-related services. Psychological intervention efforts should include components such as self-stigma, family support and abuse.
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