DEPRESSION STRESS ANXIETY AMONG HIV VICTIMS
Comparison of depression, anxiety, stress, and related factors among women and men with human immunodeficiency virus infection
HIV infection is related with psychiatric disorders. According to the results, women are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety and they need more care. Management of these psychiatric disorders is very important and requires innovative comprehensive approaches.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a global epidemic that has been reported from all countries. Worldwide, the rate of infected adults is approximately thirty-seven million, 50% of which are women. It is estimated that two million and five hundred thousand children under the age of 15 are living with HIV or AIDS. Although compared with many other countries, this infection arrived late in Iran, it now has an expanding growth rate throughout the population and an estimated 24,050 patients suffered from HIV infection, of which 92% are men and 8% are women. The age of the infected patients is about 25 to 34 and nearly 70% of transmission cases are injection drugs users (IDUs), and the rest of them are affected by sexual intercourse, blood products, and mother-to-child transmission. Also in Iran, about 69.8% of infected persons are addicted to drugs.
Negative thinking and stigma in society against AIDS lead to many social issues, like physical and mental health problems in affected patients, leading to many difficulties in their useful activities and interests. Infected individuals are so vulnerable to many changes in their whole lives including reduction in self-confidence and self-esteem, decrease in daily functions and social activities, increase in sense of vulnerability, disorganized thinking, and also physical symptoms. Moreover, frequent visits to the doctor, the high cost of drugs, and also the side effects of drugs lead to the reduction of quality of life.
Depression is the most common secondary complication related to HIV, AIDS and the most common psychiatric disorder in these individuals. The prevalence of depression among HIV-positive patients is about 57% and it has been reported more than 5 times of the general population. HIV-positive individuals with depression may have more painful experiences without any symptoms or physical signs. Long-term studies on HIV population show significant correlations between general health, physical and work performance, and psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress.
People with HIV infection have many psychological problems, and the most common of these are depression and anxiety. These difficulties are rooted in stigma and discrimination in society. Many of those infected are ostracized and forced to become isolated. Much research in this area suggests that the labeling and stigma is associated with depression and low self-esteem. Due to stigma and discrimination, people with high-risk behaviors are reluctant to do any voluntary HIV test.
Stress is the physiological response to a stressor, when the body reacts to a challenge. Stress typically describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on the person's mental and physical well-being. Long-term or chronic stress weakens the immune system and leads to disease susceptibility and makes the body prone to depression. People who suffer from a chronic disease such as HIV infection or cancer have a various range of psychiatric disorders. The risk of psychiatric disorders in individuals with HIV is 7–37% more than the normal population. Dropping out from school, unemployment, addiction to drugs and substances, stigma, and social harms are the most important risk factors in people with HIV infection for becoming depressed.
The most common psychiatric disorder in AIDS patients is depression. Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feeling, and sense of well-being. Depressed people can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, and worthless. Moreover, depression can affect physical ability and performance. Probability of depression increases since the HIV test becomes positive. Depression is associated with many symptoms including feelings of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, sleep and appetite disturbance, lack of sexual drive, impaired attention, memory, and concentration. Mortality in depressed women is higher compared with non-depressed patients.
Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of fear, worry, and uneasiness that is often accompanied by restlessness, fatigue, problem in concentration, muscular tension, sweating, and palpitation. Like depression, anxiety is a common psychiatric disorder observed in people living with HIV.
Depression and anxiety may have an effect on HIV/AIDS progression, but demographic variables and CD4 cell count and immune response can also have an important role in disease progress. It seems that depression plays a role in reducing the number of CD4 cells. Studies disclosed that stress reduction has a beneficial impact on the clinical course of the disease.
Stigma in HIV-positive women reported much greater, and more women are at risk of depression. Addicted women living with HIV have a low quality of life and suffer from mental disorders which can be correlated with poverty. Demographic variables, drug use, social roles, and social support have important proportions for predicting the risk of detection of depression, anxiety, and stress. Mortality rate in women with HIV/AIDS who suffer from chronic depression is much more than those who have less or no depression signs. Stressors such as receiving a positive test result and doubt for beginning of treatment and multiple testing increases the risk of mental disorders. Due to the increased prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country and the importance of mental health in these patients, researcher want to survey the comparison of the depression, anxiety, and stress and related factors, among women and men with HIV infection.
Raymer Vierre
HIV infection is related with psychiatric disorders. According to the results, women are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety and they need more care. Management of these psychiatric disorders is very important and requires innovative comprehensive approaches.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a global epidemic that has been reported from all countries. Worldwide, the rate of infected adults is approximately thirty-seven million, 50% of which are women. It is estimated that two million and five hundred thousand children under the age of 15 are living with HIV or AIDS. Although compared with many other countries, this infection arrived late in Iran, it now has an expanding growth rate throughout the population and an estimated 24,050 patients suffered from HIV infection, of which 92% are men and 8% are women. The age of the infected patients is about 25 to 34 and nearly 70% of transmission cases are injection drugs users (IDUs), and the rest of them are affected by sexual intercourse, blood products, and mother-to-child transmission. Also in Iran, about 69.8% of infected persons are addicted to drugs.
Negative thinking and stigma in society against AIDS lead to many social issues, like physical and mental health problems in affected patients, leading to many difficulties in their useful activities and interests. Infected individuals are so vulnerable to many changes in their whole lives including reduction in self-confidence and self-esteem, decrease in daily functions and social activities, increase in sense of vulnerability, disorganized thinking, and also physical symptoms. Moreover, frequent visits to the doctor, the high cost of drugs, and also the side effects of drugs lead to the reduction of quality of life.
Depression is the most common secondary complication related to HIV, AIDS and the most common psychiatric disorder in these individuals. The prevalence of depression among HIV-positive patients is about 57% and it has been reported more than 5 times of the general population. HIV-positive individuals with depression may have more painful experiences without any symptoms or physical signs. Long-term studies on HIV population show significant correlations between general health, physical and work performance, and psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress.
People with HIV infection have many psychological problems, and the most common of these are depression and anxiety. These difficulties are rooted in stigma and discrimination in society. Many of those infected are ostracized and forced to become isolated. Much research in this area suggests that the labeling and stigma is associated with depression and low self-esteem. Due to stigma and discrimination, people with high-risk behaviors are reluctant to do any voluntary HIV test.
Stress is the physiological response to a stressor, when the body reacts to a challenge. Stress typically describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on the person's mental and physical well-being. Long-term or chronic stress weakens the immune system and leads to disease susceptibility and makes the body prone to depression. People who suffer from a chronic disease such as HIV infection or cancer have a various range of psychiatric disorders. The risk of psychiatric disorders in individuals with HIV is 7–37% more than the normal population. Dropping out from school, unemployment, addiction to drugs and substances, stigma, and social harms are the most important risk factors in people with HIV infection for becoming depressed.
The most common psychiatric disorder in AIDS patients is depression. Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feeling, and sense of well-being. Depressed people can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, and worthless. Moreover, depression can affect physical ability and performance. Probability of depression increases since the HIV test becomes positive. Depression is associated with many symptoms including feelings of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, sleep and appetite disturbance, lack of sexual drive, impaired attention, memory, and concentration. Mortality in depressed women is higher compared with non-depressed patients.
Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of fear, worry, and uneasiness that is often accompanied by restlessness, fatigue, problem in concentration, muscular tension, sweating, and palpitation. Like depression, anxiety is a common psychiatric disorder observed in people living with HIV.
Depression and anxiety may have an effect on HIV/AIDS progression, but demographic variables and CD4 cell count and immune response can also have an important role in disease progress. It seems that depression plays a role in reducing the number of CD4 cells. Studies disclosed that stress reduction has a beneficial impact on the clinical course of the disease.
Stigma in HIV-positive women reported much greater, and more women are at risk of depression. Addicted women living with HIV have a low quality of life and suffer from mental disorders which can be correlated with poverty. Demographic variables, drug use, social roles, and social support have important proportions for predicting the risk of detection of depression, anxiety, and stress. Mortality rate in women with HIV/AIDS who suffer from chronic depression is much more than those who have less or no depression signs. Stressors such as receiving a positive test result and doubt for beginning of treatment and multiple testing increases the risk of mental disorders. Due to the increased prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country and the importance of mental health in these patients, researcher want to survey the comparison of the depression, anxiety, and stress and related factors, among women and men with HIV infection.
Raymer Vierre
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