The psychosocial impact of HIV infection in men with haemophilia: controlled investigation and factors associated with psychiatric morbidity
Catalan, J.; Klimes, I.; Bond, A.; Day, A.; Garrod, A.; Rizza, C.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research 36(5): 409-416
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3999 PMID: 1619581 DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(92)90001-iDocument Number: 322430
At the Oxford Haemophilia Centre at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, England, psychiatrists compared data on 37 HIV seropositive hemophiliacs (31 asymptomatics and 6 symptomatics) with data on 36 HIV seronegative hemophiliacs to determine the prevalence of psychosocial conditions in HIV seropositive men and factors related to those conditions. HIV seropositive men had much higher Present State Examination scores than did the HIV seronegative men (5.9 vs. 2.2; p=.005). This was true for both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV seropositive men (7.3 and 5.7, respectively). Nevertheless, these levels of psychological disturbance were basically the same as the general outpatient medical population as was also the case with depression scores (POMS). Still symptomatic HIV seropositive men were more likely to be depressed than HIV seronegative men (6.4 vs. 3.6; p=.02). The most important finding was that both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV seropositive men felt significantly higher levels of hopelessness than did the HIV seronegative men (6.5 vs. 2.6; p=.0004, asymptomatic-5.8 and symptomatic=9.7). Hopelessness indicated an increased risk of suicide which is independent of depression. Past psychiatric history (r=0.38), hopelessness (r=0.55), and poor social adjustment (r=0.55) accounted for 49.8% of the variance (p.001). HIV seropositive men exhibited more psychosexual dysfunction especially premature and delayed ejaculation (30% vs. 4% and 20% vs. 0, respectively; p.05) than HIV seronegative men. Among the men who had a sexual relationship, HIV seropositive men tended to always use condoms during intercourse (79% of asymptomatics and 100% of symptomatics vs. 25% of HIV seronegatives; p=.0004). Even though they used condoms, HIV seropositive men were more likely to worry about infecting their partners than HIV seronegative men (p=.02).