[Depression and HAART adherence in HIV infected patients attending Hospital San Pablo of Coquimbo, Chile].

Despite the good HAART coverage of HIV infected patients in Chile, treatment success is interfered by patient-adherence problems. Moreover, HIV and depression co-morbidity has been shown to impair self-care and medication adherence. With the aim to analyze adherence problems and its relationship with depression in HIV infected patients, we evaluated 119 HIV infected patients, attending Coquimbo's Hospital. Our sample was incidental and transversally evaluated with: Morisky, Green & Levine Medication Adherence Scale, and the Beck - II Depression Inventory. In addition, demographic and health data were obtained from clinical files. Main results showed that 68% patients referred having HAART adherence problems, with differences in sex, age and treatment duration. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with moderate-severe depressive symptoms have 3,08 (95% IC 1,08-8,80) times higher risk of having adherence problems compared to patients with mild to no depressive symptoms.