Background: Depression in HIV/AIDS patients often go unrecognised in the clinic, and are not treated or referred, resulting in psychological morbidity which possibly affects compliance, and may breed drug resistance. Depression may be a complication of HIV/AIDS, and may in fact predispose an individual to HIV infection. In some cases, depression may be the presenting feature of HIV/AIDS especially in young adults. Aim: The objective of the study was to identify the psycho-social and medical variables of depression in HIV/AIDS patients in Kano, Nigeria. Methods: The study was cross-sectional, and was carried out at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Nigeria. The study included 250 HIV/AIDS patients admitted in AKTH. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale questionnaire were administered to the patients. Respondents who scored 8 and above on the screening instrument (HAD) were further assessed by the depressive module of Composite International Diagnostic Inventory (CIDI) for depression. Results: Two hundred and fifty subjects, aged 15 to 54 (mean= 32; s.d = 8), were recruited for the study, the majority (82%) of the patients were between 20 to 39 years. One hundred and thirty one (52.4%) were males. In univariate analysis, past history of psychiatric illness, perception of the illness, feelings of stigma, job problems, sexual problems, and educational problems were found to be associated with depression. In multivariate analysis, only sexual problem (p=0.0045) and patients’ perception of illness (p=0.0148) were significant predictors of depression in the subjects. Discussion: This study confirmed some of the important predictors of depression in HIV/AIDS patients with the most significant ones here being sexual problems and perception of illness of HIV/AIDS.
