OBJECTIVE: This paper examines depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and comorbid depression/PTSD among Black and Latinx young and emerging adults (YEA) living with HIV. We incorporated a social-ecological framework to examine risk factors associated with mental health conditions, comparing foreign and US-born groups.
METHODS: We used a hybrid recruitment strategy and surveyed 271 Black and Latinx YEA (ages 19–28 years) living with HIV in the Eastern USA. We used multivariable logistic regressions and hypothesized certain individual, interpersonal, community/societal risk factors would be positively associated with depression, PTSD, and comorbid depression/PTSD.
RESULTS: Participants experienced elevated rates of depression (33.9%), PTSD (34.0%), and comorbid depression/PTSD (19.1%). Contrary to our hypothesis, US-born participants had significantly higher rates of mental health conditions compared to foreign-born participants. At the individual-level, foreign-born was associated with lower comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 0.38 (95% CI 0.15, 0.97)], cisgender with lower comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 0.42 (95% CI 0.18, 0.99)], greater number of Adverse Childhood Experiences with PTSD [OR 1.18 (95% CI 1.08, 1.29)], and comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 1.28 (95% CI 1.12, 1.47)], while moderate/high substance use with depression [OR 2.30 (95% CI 1.01, 5.25)] and comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 3.74 (95% CI 1.07, 13.03)]. At the interpersonal-level, lower social support was associated with higher depression [OR 0.99 (95% CI 0.97, 1.00)], PTSD [OR 0.98 (95% CI 0.97, 0.99)], and comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 0.97 (95% CI 0.96, 0.99)]. At the community/societal-level, discrimination was associated with higher depression [OR 1.05 (95% CI 1.02, 1.08)] and comorbid depression/PTSD [RRR 1.07 (95% CI 1.02, 1.11)].
IMPLICATIONS: Understanding social-ecological risk factors associated with mental health conditions of Black and Latinx YEA living with HIV is important in determining potential avenues for targeted prevention and intervention to improve mental health.
Black and Latinx foreign- and US-born young and emerging adults living with HIV: Examining social ecological risk factors and their association with depression, post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD), and comorbid depression/PTSD
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities [Epub 2025 May 7]. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02458-x.