Accès ouvert

Establishing an empirical cut-off on the 12-item Brief Berger HIV Stigma Scale to screen psychosocial vulnerability among PLHIV in Nigeria

Article scientifique 2025 Anglais

Résumé

Abstract This study addresses a key challenge in HIV care the lack of a validated screening tool for psychosocial vulnerability. Although the 12-item Brief Berger HIV Stigma Scale is widely used, no clear threshold exists to identify individuals at high risk for mental health problems. Our research aimed to establish a practical, data-driven cut-off score for the scale in a Nigerian context and to explore which dimensions of stigma are most linked to psychosocial vulnerability. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 285 PLWH at three tertiary centres (May–August 2024). Psychosocial vulnerability was defined as moderate-to-severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥10) or anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis with the Youden Index identified the optimal cut-off; multivariable logistic regression examined independent associations of stigma subscales with vulnerability. Among 285 participants (mean age 47.1±11.17 years, 72.6% female), 44.9% met vulnerability criteria. The Berger Scale demonstrated acceptable discrimination (AUC = 0.717, 95% CI 0.658–0.777). A cut-off of ≥30 yielded high sensitivity (87.5%) and strong negative predictive value (82.8%). Internal validation confirmed stability (cross-validated AUC 0.703, bootstrap AUC 0.701). Decision curve analysis showed positive net benefit over “screen-none” up to threshold probability 0.45, with peak benefit at 0.30. In multivariable analysis, public attitude concerns were the strongest predictor (adjusted OR 1.68, p<0.001), while disclosure concerns—despite near-universal prevalence (96.1%)—showed no independent association. The ≥30 cut-off provides a practical, sensitive rule-out tool for identifying PLWH needing psychosocial assessment in resource-limited settings. External validation is essential before widespread adoption . Public attitude concerns outweighing internalised stigma highlights the need for culturally informed interventions addressing societal stigma alongside mental health support.

Citer ce document

Abdulraheem, K., Onajole, A., Roberts, A., Olowoopejo, T. (2025). Establishing an empirical cut-off on the 12-item Brief Berger HIV Stigma Scale to screen psychosocial vulnerability among PLHIV in Nigeria. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.15.25335818

Accès au document

Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter

Auteur(s)

Kamaldeen Sunkanmi Abdulraheem A T Onajole Alero Ann Roberts Temidayo Olowoopejo

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0