Association Between HIV Viral Load and Mental Health Outcomes in ART Patients at Chipata Central Hospital, Zambia

Background: Mental health disorders are common among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), yet the relationship between HIV viral load and mental health outcomes remains underexplored in resource-limited settings like Zambia. This study aims to examine the association between HIV viral load and mental health disorders among ART patients at Chipata Central Hospital, Zambia. Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed to examine the association between HIV viral load and mental health disorders. 405 participants met the inclusion criteria picked using systematic random sampling. Viral load was categorized as high (>1000 copies/ml) or suppressed (<1000 copies/ml), and mental health outcomes were assessed using a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) tool. Results: Results showed a significant association between high viral load and mental health disorders (χ² = 103.55, p < 0.001), with 25.4% of high viral load patients presenting mental health orders compared to 0.6% with suppressed viral load. Multivariable logistic regression model after adjusting confounders, high HIV viral load (≥1000 copies/mL) was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of mental health disorders (OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.75–3.66, p-value < 0.001). This suggests that patients with high HIV viral load are 2.53 times more likely to experience mental health disorders compared to those with low viral loads, after controlling for other factors. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of integrating routine mental health screening into HIV care services to facilitate early intervention and improve ART adherence and overall patient outcomes. Key words: Viral load, Mental health disorders, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and Chipata Central Hospital