Religious coping and depressive symptoms in people living with HIV in Ghana

ABSTRACT People living with HIV (PLHIV) experience adverse psychological outcomes including depressive symptoms. This study examined the association between religious coping (Brief RCOPE) and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS-D]) among 138 PLHIV in Ghana. The results indicated that 125 (90.6%) and 50 (36.2%) respondents reported using positive religious coping and experienced depressive symptoms respectively. A negative relationship (r = −.209, n = 138, p<.05) between positive religious coping and depressive symptoms was observed. Negative religious coping was found to positively associate (r = .025, n = 138, p>.05) with depressive symptoms. Thus, positive religious coping was associated with less depressive symptoms compared to negative religious coping. The study highlights the putative contributions of religious coping to the mental health outcomes of PLHIV in Ghana. Additionally, this study accentuates the clinical relevance of assessing depressive symptoms, promoting positive religious coping strategies, and designing culturally targeted interventions for PLHIV.