Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Dr. Raymond Panas

Abstract

Limited studies have been conducted on whether receiving a positive result from at-home HIV testing correlates with suicidality (suicidal attempt or ideation). Based on the Ajzen theory of planned behavior, this cross-sectional study comprises a surveyed convenience sample of (N = 213) HIV -positive or negative adults who either tested for HIV at home or in-clinic. The purpose of this study was to explore any association between testing positive for HIV using the HIV at-home test kit and (a) suicidal attempt and (b) suicidal ideation; also, to discover any association between (c) HIV-negative and suicidality and (d) all HIV-positives (at-home or in-clinic positives) and suicidality. The covariates were: gender, access to care, income, education, partner status, age, race, and ethnicity. Bivariate analyses indicated that positive results from an HIV home test did not have a significant effect on suicidal attempts (p = .400) or suicidal ideation (p = 1.000). After multivariate logistic regression analysis, all HIV -positives (combined at-home and in-clinic positives) did not have any significant effect on suicidality (p = .063). However, being HIV -negative did have a significant effect on suicidality (p = .047). After controlling for the covariates, the results indicated that ages (25 to 34 years old; p =.044), race (Black or African American; p =.019), and education (2 year or community college; p =.047) had a significant effect on suicidality. As such, the results indicated that suicidality remains a public health threat. Expanding available resources, monitoring those who use the HIV at-home test, and increasing highly trained professionals to identify suicidal risk in people who are either HIV -negative or positive so that they can be linked to care can all contribute to social change.

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