Suicidal thoughts of women with HIV infection: Effect of stressors and moderating effects of family cohesion

Associations of suicidality with sociodemographic characteristics, number of HIV-related symptoms, perceived stigma, depressive mood, emotional distress, and family cohesion were investigated in a sample of women with HIV infection. Of 214 women, 56% reported neither suicidal thoughts nor attempts since learning they were HIV infected, 31% reported thoughts but no attempts, and 14% reported both thoughts and attempts. Women who reported suicidal thoughts reported more HIV-related symptoms, more perceived stigma, greater depressive mood, more emotional distress, and less family cohesion than did women who reported no suicidal thoughts; women who reported both thoughts and attempts did not differ from women who reported only thoughts on these variables. Family cohesion moderated the effect of symptoms on thoughts. Those who reported suicidal thoughts reported more HIV-related symptoms only when family cohesion was relatively low.