UCT study reveals suicide risk among HIV patients

A NEW study by researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Linképing University in Sweden has found that people living with HIV face a heightened risk of suicide, underscoring the urgent need to integrate mental health services into routine HIV care.

- STAFF REPORTER

The research, published in the AIDS Care journal, highlights how stigma, fear of disclosure, mental health challenges and gaps in primary healthcare services combine to increase vulnerability among people living with HIV.

The study explored healthcare workers’ perspectives on suicide risk factors, barriers to care and prevention needs within primary healthcare settings. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 13 healthcare workers from three primary healthcare clinics in Khayelitsha.

Associate Professor Stephan Rabie, a chief research officer in UCT’s Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health and the study’s principal investigator, said suicide disproportionately affects people living with HIV due to a complex interplay of factors.