Psychiatric Morbidity and its Correlates in HIV Seropositive Patients

HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus) infection and AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) apart from being a chronic and progressive illness also carries the additional burden of social stigma. The patients diagnosed with HIV infection are at risk of developing psychiatric disorders because of the very nature of their illness.

To study the psychiatric morbidity and its correlating psychosocial factors in HIV-infected patients.

This was a cross-sectional study set in a tertiary care hospital attached to a Medical College. A sample size of 60 HIV seropositive patients attending the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre was taken.

A self-structured proforma was used to collect socio-demographic data and details regarding HIV-related awareness, discrimination and attitudes. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to diagnose psychiatric disorders.

The psychiatric morbidity was found in 68% of the sample group. The most common psychiatric disorder was depression (33.3%) followed by suicidality (23.33%), substance use disorders (13.33%), dysthymia (15%) and anxiety disorders (15%). The factors that were found to be significantly associated (P<0.5) with psychiatric morbidity in HIV-infected patients were: discrimination due to HIV status, level of knowledge about HIV, attitude of family members and perceived severity of symptoms.

The HIV-infected patients should be routinely screened for psychiatric disorders. Increasing the level of awareness about HIV infection and correcting the negative attitudes and discrimination faced by these patients in their homes, workplaces and in society at large would come in useful in reducing the psychiatric sequelae of this disease.