HIV and depression statistics worldwide

Updated October 2026

Depression is common among people living with HIV. Across studies worldwide, 31% of patients with HIV had moderate or severe depression ¹.

Rates differ by country, by group and by the measure each study used. Each figure below names the group and the place it covers. Screening questionnaires point to a probable condition, not a diagnosis.

Getting help

If something on this page reflects what you are going through, you do not have to manage it alone. Our guide to finding the right therapist explains how to choose someone qualified, and the TherapyRoute directory lists therapists in many countries.

If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, our list of helplines and crisis lines worldwide gives free services by country. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Depression among people living with HIV worldwide

A large pooled review gives the worldwide picture, with differences between continents ¹.

• In a pooled review of studies worldwide, moderate or severe depression among patients with HIV was highest in South American studies, at 44%. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2019, study years not stated) ¹
• In a pooled review of studies worldwide, moderate or severe depression among patients with HIV was lowest in European studies, at 22%. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2019, study years not stated) ¹

Pregnant women

Researchers have studied depression alongside HIV closely in women during pregnancy ⁴.

• Across studies, 36% of pregnant women living with HIV had depressive symptoms. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2019, study years not stated) ⁴
• Among pregnant women without HIV in the comparison groups, 26% had depressive symptoms. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2019, study years not stated) ⁴

Stigma and treatment

In a United Kingdom national survey of heterosexual cis-gender people living with HIV, internalised stigma, such as shame about one's HIV status, related to depression through feeling lonely because of HIV ⁵. In a national United States sample, most adults in HIV care who had diagnosed depression had a prescription for antidepressants, but not all ³.

• In a national survey in the United Kingdom in 2022 to 2023, 57.9% of heterosexual cis-gender people living with HIV reported internalised stigma about their HIV status. (survey, 2022-2023 data) ⁵

Sub-Saharan Africa

In one cohort of women under forty-five living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, study site, employment and food security were each linked with depression ⁶.

• In a sub-Saharan African cohort of women living with HIV aged under forty-five, depression on a screening scale was found at 9.1% of visits when the women were not pregnant. (cohort study, 2013-2020 data) ⁶
• Among people living with HIV attending public hospitals in Bale Zone, southeast Ethiopia, 44.9% screened positive for depression on a questionnaire. (survey published 2022, fieldwork year not stated) ⁷
• Among people living with HIV aged eighteen or older at two rural health facilities in southwestern Nigeria in 2020, 16.3% screened positive for depression. (survey, 2020 data) ⁸

Country figures

These figures come from national surveys, pooled studies and clinic samples in each country. They use different measures, so read each with its label and do not rank them.

How to read these figures

Many studies used screening questionnaires, which point to a probable condition, not a diagnosis. Rates from questionnaires are usually higher than from clinical interviews.

Pooled reviews combine studies with different methods, so their figures are averages across many settings.

Clinic samples count people already in care; national surveys count a wider group.

If low mood, loss of interest or hopelessness last more than two weeks, talk to your HIV clinic or a therapist. Our guide on finding the right therapist explains how to choose someone qualified.

Cite this page: TherapyRoute. HIV and depression statistics worldwide. https://www.therapyroute.com/article/hiv-and-depression-statistics-worldwide-by-therapyroute. Last updated 26 October 2026.

References

1. [1] Global prevalence of depression in HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ supportive & palliative care (Rezaei S et al.), 2019 europepmc.org.
2. [2] The prevalence of depression among adolescent with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis. AIDS research and therapy (Ayano G et al.), 2021 europepmc.org.
3. [3] Depression Prevalence, Antidepressant Treatment Status, and Association with Sustained HIV Viral Suppression Among Adults Living with HIV in Care in the United States, 2009-2014. AIDS and behavior (Gokhale RH et al.), 2019 europepmc.org.
4. [4] Prevalence of perinatal depression among HIV-positive women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry (Zhu QY et al.), 2019 europepmc.org.
5. [5] Stigma and depression among heterosexual men and women living with HIV in the UK: Investigating a conceptual framework. PloS one (Miltz AR et al.), 2026 europepmc.org.
6. [6] The pregnancy factor: the prevalence of depression among women living with HIV enrolled in the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) by pregnancy status. Archives of women's mental health (Jones MU et al.), 2021 europepmc.org.
7. [7] Prevalence of depression and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in public hospitals of Southeast Ethiopia. BMC psychiatry (Desta F et al.), 2022 europepmc.org.
8. [8] Prevalence of depression among people living with HIV in rural hospitals in South-Western Nigeria-Association with clinico-demographic factors. AIDS research and therapy (Adedeji WA et al.), 2023 europepmc.org.
9. [9] Prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry (Wang T et al.), 2018 europepmc.org.
10. [10] Prevalence of depression in people with HIV and AIDS in Iran: A systematic review. Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Doosti-Irani A et al.), 2017 europepmc.org.
11. [11] Prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in women living with HIV in antiretroviral therapy in Ceará, Brazil. AIDS care (Cunha GHD et al.), 2026 europepmc.org.