Psychiatric morbidity in HIV-positive subjects: a study from India
Nebhinani, N.; Mattoo, S.K.; Wanchu, A.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research 70(5): 449-454
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 1879-1360 PMID: 21511075 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.09.021Document Number: 219902
To study the psychiatric morbidity in HIV-positive subjects. Cross-sectional. The purposive sample included HIV-positive subjects not receiving antiretroviral therapy (HIV) (n=100). Rheumatoid arthritis (severe) subjects not receiving steroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (RA) (n=40) were included as a comparison group. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire in Hindi (GHQ) was used to screen the psychiatric morbidity in both groups. In GHQ-positive cases, psychiatric diagnoses were made using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The HIV group reported sexual contact as the commonest source of infection (58%) and had a lower age at onset (32.53 vs. 36.60 years, P=.011), shorter duration of illness (12.95 vs. 83.37 months, P<.001), lower GHQ score (28.3 vs. 30.15, P=.043), similar Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (28.01 vs. 27.37, P=.093) and lower psychiatric morbidity by both GHQ (score >2) (52% vs. 85%) and current SCID diagnoses (45% vs. 60%, P=.021), as compared to the RA group. The HIV group also had a lower prevalence of psychiatric disorders (45% vs. 60%), mood disorders [24% vs. 52% including major depressive disorder (19% vs. 45%)] and anxiety disorders (1% vs. 2.5%), but a higher prevalence of substance use disorders (17% vs. 2.5%), adjustment disorders (7% vs. 5%) and psychotic disorders (1% vs. 0), as compared to the RA group. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, especially the mood disorders, in our HIV-positive subjects was generally similar to that reported from the rest of the world.
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