article · Global Academic Journal of Medical Sciences
A study at Buea Regional Hospital evaluated compliance with antiretroviral therapy and overall well-being among 150 HIV-positive adolescents and young adults. Using a structured questionnaire administered between June and August 2022, researchers assessed self-reported adherence and emotional state. The findings revealed an overall treatment compliance rate of 68.7 percent. Experiencing depression showed a statistically significant link to both medication adherence and treatment discontinuation. Furthermore, 16.4 percent of respondents identified a lack of interest in daily activities as their primary emotional challenge. Despite these difficulties, 76.0 percent of participants indicated a positive sense of well-being, reporting minimal distress in the preceding fortnight. The findings suggest that integrating mental health and emotional support services into routine clinical care is necessary to enhance medication compliance and treatment outcomes for this group.
Antiretroviral therapy requires high adherence to prevent treatment failure and drug resistance. These findings demonstrate that emotional challenges, specifically depression, directly affect whether young people continue or abandon their medication. Showing that clinical access alone does not ensure consistent treatment underscores the need for healthcare services to combine medical dispensing with dedicated mental health support to keep young HIV patients engaged in care.
The abstract outlines early-stage clinical research and does not indicate an immediate commercialisation pathway. However, the findings provide baseline behavioral data that healthcare providers, digital health developers, and non-governmental organisations could use to design targeted psychosocial support programmes or adherence-monitoring tools for adolescents living with HIV.
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Despite initiatives by the WHO and the International AIDS Control Program, including free HIV screenings and antiretroviral therapy (ART), many adolescents and young adults struggle with treatment compliance. This study aimed to assess ART compliance among HIV-positive adolescents and young adults and evaluate their sense of well-being at the Buea Regional Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to August 31, 2022, using a convenient sampling technique to enroll 150 consenting participants. A structured questionnaire gathered data on demographics and ART compliance. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 and Excel 2013, with a significance level set at 0.05. Results indicated an overall compliance rate of 68.7%. Notably, participants reported that feeling depressed was significantly linked to both adherence to and discontinuation of medication (p=0.016 and p=0.010, respectively). The most common emotional struggle was a lack of interest in daily tasks, affecting 16.4% of respondents. Despite these challenges, 76.0% of participants reported a positive sense of well-being, indicating minimal distress in the preceding two weeks. In conclusion, HIV remains a prevalent chronic viral infection among adolescents and young adults. Understanding the factors influencing compliance with ART at the Buea Regional Hospital is critical for enhancing treatment outcomes and improving the overall well-being of this demographic. Addressing mental health and emotional support may be vital in improving adherence rates.
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DOI: 10.36348/gajms.2025.v07i02.002
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