Mental Health and HIV Care and Prevention | StrongMinds
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Mental Health and HIV Care and Prevention

Mental Health and HIV Care and Prevention

Supporting the mental health of at-risk individuals and people living with HIV.
Left Flourish

The psychosocial toll of living with HIV can be devastating.

Good mental health is a protective factor that can lower the risk of HIV infection.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is 42% lower among people with depressive symptoms and the odds of ART adherence are 83% better when depression was treated.

Untreated depression is also linked to high-risk sexual behavior and substance use, both risk factors for HIV.

Conversely, depression recovery has a protective effect on HIV risk, particularly in adolescents.

 

70% of global HIV cases are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Three in four new HIV infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa and adolescent girls are particularly at risk.

15-30% of people living with HIV/AIDS also suffer from depression in sub-Saharan Africa.

What We Are Doing

StrongMinds partners with governments and NGOs to integrate our depression screening model into existing health and education infrastructures. We offer comprehensive technical and training support to help partners implement depression treatment within their communities.

StrongMinds has treated depression in more than 550,000 people in Africa to-date, of whom more than 28,000 were treated through partnerships with NGOs focused on HIV care and prevention.

Our Results

74%

of clients are depression-free, with results sustained six months later.

42%

of sexually active adolescents began using contraceptives.

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