Infect Chemother.  2013 Jun;45(2):239-240. 10.3947/ic.2013.45.2.239.

Mental health of HIV-infected patients: A severe, but Overlooked Problem

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, AIDS Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. seran@yuhs.ac

Abstract

HIV-infected patients are known to have severe psychosocial problems; however, clinicians tend to overlook these psychosocial issues. Song et al. identified depression and anxiety as the most common mental illnesses among HIV-infected patients. Psychosocial issues are important factors and are associated with poor adherence, which leads to treatment failure and resistance. Clinicians who tend to HIV patients should be attentive to the patients' psychosocial problems and regularly conduct screening for depressive disorders. Mental health must be addressed to improve the quality of life of patients with HIV/AIDS.

Keyword

HIV; AIDS; Depression; Cognitive disorder

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Depression
Depressive Disorder
HIV
Humans
Mass Screening
Mental Health
Quality of Life
Singing
Treatment Failure

Reference

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