Psychosocial aspects of seropositive HIV patients

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has become a serious global health problem with an enormous biomedical impact and diverse psychological and clinical manifestation. A study was conducted wherein seropositive HIV patients admitted in a medical ward were assessed for demographic profile, presenting physical illness, mode of contacting the infection, psychiatric morbidity and associated psychosocial factors. The results revealed male preponderance and heterosexual unprotected exposure as the common mode of contacting the illness. It was observed that majority of the patients presented with tuberculosis. Psychiatric assessment revealed a high rate of depressive and anxiety syndromes. Thus it was concluded that the HIV-infected population has a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders as compared to the general population. The reason for this includes psychological, biological and social factors.