Linear and Quadratic Associations of Plasma Oxytocin With Depressive Symptoms in Ethnic Minority Women Living With HIV

The current study examines both linear and curvilinear relationships between oxytocin (OT) and depressive symptoms over time in ethnic minority women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; WLWH). Participants were 70 WLWH aged 20-49 (86% African-American or Caribbean). OT was measured at baseline via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoassay procedures. Depressive symptoms were measured at both baseline and 10-week post-baseline via the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Multiple regression analyses revealed marginal linear and significant quadratic OT terms to be predictors of T2 BDI scores. Results indicate that to a point, OT may have salutary effects on depressive symptoms in ethnic minority WLWH. However, extremely high OT levels may be related to greater depressive symptoms.