Prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors among postpartum HIV-positive women in health facilities, South Africa

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its associated factors in postpartum HIV-positive women in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 580 HIV positive postnatal women (M = 28.5 years; SD = 5.8) in 48 health facilities in Nkangala district, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Results indicate that 41.2% of women reported suicidal ideation in the postnatal period. In multivariate analysis, receiving money from the family, having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) (other than HIV) in the past year, and lack of social support were found to be associated with suicidal ideation. In conclusion, suicidal ideation is common among HIV positive postpartum women, which calls for inclusion of suicidality risk assessment and management protocols in interventions targeting postpartum women living with HIV.