Risk factors of suicidality among HIV positive subjects in a treatment centre, Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Suicide behaviour complicates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Some of the risk factors attributed to this behavior include stigmatization, depression, cultural beliefs, deterioration in physical condition and overwhelming infections. The aim of this paper is to identify the risk factors of suicidal behaviour among HIV respondents in an antiretroviral treatment centre in Kaduna metropolis. This will also present opportunity for primary prevention of suicide among these respondents. The study was a cross sectional, descriptive study involving two hundred and fifty HIV positive respondents, selected through convenience sampling. Two self-administered questionnaires (sociodemographic and Beck depression inventory) were given to the subjects to fill after receiving written consent. All the participating subjects were interviewed for suicidality using suicidality module of MINI and also clinically examined by the author. The statistical package for social science (SPSS), 15th edition was used for analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of suicidility. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of suicidality among these patients receiving antiretroviral care at AIDS Relief Centre of St-Gerard Catholic hospital was 16% while the prevalence of depression among the subjects was 26%. Factors significantly associated with suicidality in this study were depression (p = 0.000; x2 = 37.645,df = 1), reaction to illness by friends, colleagues, and relation (p = 0.000; x2 = 26.5,df = 2), past psychiatric history (p = 0.023; x2 = 1,df = 1), physical state of the patient (p = 0.0016; x2 = 5.787,df = 1), and previous suicidal attempt (p = 0.000; x2 = 66.17,df = 1). On multiple regression analysis, depression (p = 0.000; odd ratio = 11.242 and 95% CI = 4.147 to 30.478) and reaction to illness by friends, relation and colleagues (p = 0.032; odd ratio = 0.193 and 95% CI = 0.043 to 0.866) were found to be predictors of suicidality. The more severe the depression, the higher the rate of suicide behaviour. Predictor (p = 0.000, odd ratio = 64.68 and 95% = 10.33 to 1388). The implication of this finding is that suicidality complicates HIV/AIDS disease among infected subjects in Nigeria. Therefore, there is need for prompt recognition of risk factors to suicidality and the need to prevent it among these subjects.