Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression among HIV- Infected Individuals

People living with HIV/AIDS are at a higher risk for depression and mostly goes both undiagnosed and untreated. Untreated depression is a grave concern, researches indicate that it can lead to significant distress, functional impairment and can cause psychological suffering along with worse medical outcomes, including immunosuppressive effects. Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is a widely used and promising treatment strategy for individuals infected with HIV. Studies indicate that treatment of clinical depression can enhance the treatment adherence to ART and recovery from depression is correlated with increased CD4 cell counts. The present study is a preliminary investigation, evaluating the efficacy of MBCT in the management of Depression among HIV infected individuals who are undergoing ART. A total of 10 individuals with HIV infection undergoing ART since 2-3 months who were also diagnosed with clinical depression in a community clinic were recruited for the study. There were 5 drop-outs, and the remaining 5 participants subjected to an 8 week MBCT treatment program for depression. The participants were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory- II (BDI) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), pre- and post intervention. The assessment scores, pre- and post- intervention, were compared and was found as statistically significant at 0.05 level on both HADS Depression subscale (z= -2.07) and BDI (z=-2.02). Post- intervention, all 5 participants were interviewed by an independent clinician for depression, and only one person met the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for depression. The findings of the study indicate a preliminary efficacy of MBCT in treating clinical depression among people infected with HIV.