Resumen
There is limited understanding of the psychological stresses and mental health needs of HIV-infected women living in rural and remote areas of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. A growing number of indigenous Indian women of Mexico are becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. Women with HIV/AIDS are most often poor and living in small villages where there are large extended families that comprise the community. Globally, stigma and isolation have been frequently identified as the consequences of HIV/AIDS in individuals. However, there has been no research that examined issues such as depression or family functioning in HIV-infected women in Oaxaca, Mexico. While physical treatment has been made available to persons with HIV/AIDS, there are no mental health services available to assist women in dealing with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. This study examined levels of depression and family functioning in 101 women who were receiving treatment at the COESIDA clinic in Oaxaca. Women reported mild to moderate levels of depression and demonstrated high levels of family functioning or satisfaction with the functioning of their families. Levels of depression reported were lower than those reported in other groups of HIV-infected women. Additionally, the levels of depression found in this study were inconsistent with verbal reports of isolation and loneliness previously reported for this group in qualitative interviews. Further, examination of the Burn’s Depression Checklist which was used to measure depression suggests that this instrument is not culturally appropriate for this group and that culturally appropriate measures need to be developed specifically to these indigenous women. Recommendations for provision of appropriate mental health services are discussed. (Extraído del artículo)