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Article History

Received: 4 September 2025

Accepted: 29 December 2025

First Online: 23 January 2026

Declarations

:

: The study protocol received approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the North-West University in South Africa (NWU-00016-10-A1 for PURE-SA-NWP; NWU-00002-07-A2 for FORT3 of which the depression data in PURE-SA-NWP formed part; and NWU-00106-22-A1 for the PURE-SA-NWP sub study on immune/metabolic profiles of treatment-naïve HIV positive participants in the 2010 wave).

: The PURE-study, its overlap with the FORT3 study which included the depression data, as well as the sub-study focused on the immune/metabolic profiles of treatment-naïve HIV positive participants were approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee of the North-West University (NWU-HREC) (NWU-00016-10-A1, NWU-00002-07-A2, and NWU-00106-22-A1, respectively). Voluntary informed consent was acquired from all participants included in this study.

: Not applicable.

: Not applicable.

: During the preparation of this work the authors used Grammarly to assist with language editing/grammar. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

: The authors declare no competing interests.