Citation

Li Y, Guo Y, Hong YA, Zhu M, Zeng C, Qiao J, Xu Z, Zhang H, Zeng Y, Cai W, Li L, Liu C. J. Med. Internet. Res. 2019; 21(11): e14729.

Affiliation

Department of Infectious Diseases, Eight People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation)

DOI

10.2196/14729

PMID

31774411

Abstract

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV and depression have high rates of suicide. Studies of mobile health (mHealth) interventions have shown feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy in improving mental health in people living with HIV and depression. However, few studies have examined the mechanisms and effects of mHealth interventions on suicide.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to examine the mechanisms and effects of a WeChat-based intervention, Run4Love, on suicide among people living with HIV and depression in China, while considering perceived stress and depressive symptoms as mediators.

METHODS: A sample of 300 People living with HIV and depression was recruited from the outpatient clinic of a large HIV or AIDS treatment hospital and was randomized to the Run4Love group or a control group. Data were collected at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-ups. Path analysis modeling, with longitudinal data, was used in data analyses.

RESULTS: The Run4Love mHealth intervention had a direct effect on reducing suicide rate at the 6-month follow-up (beta=-.18, P=.02) and indirect effect through reducing perceived stress and depressive symptoms at the 3-month follow-up (beta=-.09, P=.001). A partial mediating effect between perceived stress and depressive symptoms accounted for 33% (-0.09/-0.27) of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS: Through path analyses, we understood the mechanisms and effects of an mHealth intervention on suicide prevention. The findings underscored the importance of stress reduction and depression treatment in such a program. We call for more effective suicide prevention, especially mHealth interventions targeting the vulnerable population of people living with HIV and depression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-IPR-17012606; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=21019.

©Yiran Li, Yan Guo, Y Alicia Hong, Mengting Zhu, Chengbo Zeng, Jiaying Qiao, Zhimeng Xu, Hanxi Zhang, Yu Zeng, Weiping Cai, Linghua Li, Cong Liu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 27.11.2019.

Language: en

Keywords

HIV; depression; mHealth; suicide