Abstract:
Background: Suicidal behaviors and Human Immune Virus infection have become
series public health issues that have placed heavy burden on society. Suicidal ideation and
attempts occur at high rate in patients with Human Immune Virus infections than in the
general population; however, there was little information about these issues.
Objective: To determine the magnitude of suicidal ideation, attempt, and associated
factors among Human Immune Virus positive patients who were receiving Antiretroviral
Therapy clinic at public health facilities in Ambo town, Ethiopia, 2022.
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted at public health facilities in
Ambo town from September 1 to October 1, 2022 and 394 participants were chosen using
a consecutive sampling technique. Data was collected via face to face interview using
structured questionnaires and entered using Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to
Statistical package for social science version 26 to analyses data. Bivariate and
multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated to suicidal
ideation and attempt. All variables that had a p-value < 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were
considered as candidate for multivariate analysis and factors that had a p-value<0.05 were
declared as significantly associated to outcome variables at a 95% confidence level.
Result: Among a total of 394 patients living with Human Immune Virus infection who
were participated in this study, 117 (29.7%) and 56 (14.2%) had suicidal ideation and
attempt respectively. Human Immune Virus stage III (AOR=2.7, 95%CI: 1.03, 7.04 ) and
stage IV (AOR=5.7, 95%CI:1.94, 16.9), opportunistic infection (AOR=6.5, 95%CI: 2.95,
14.2), depression (AOR=2.9, 95%CI: 1.4, 5.93), anxiety (AOR=7.8, 95%CI: 3.6, 16.8),
family history of mental illness (AOR=7.0, 95%CI: 3.3, 14.7) and poor social support
(AOR=3, 95%CI: 1.33, 6.7) were significantly associated to suicidal ideation, whereas;
depression (AOR=2.2, 95%CI: 1.13, 4.5), opportunistic infection (AOR=3.8, 95%CI:
1.81, 7.9), family history of mental illness (AOR=4.8, 95%CI: 2.2, 10) and poor social
support (AOR=3.6, 95%CI: 1.4, 9.65) were significantly associated to suicidal attempt.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The magnitude of suicidal ideation and attempt
among Human Immune Virus positive patients were remaining high. Therefore, early
screening and addressing identified suicidal risk factors are essential to reduce the
consequence of suicide in those people living with human immune virus infection.
