Psychosocial aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a pre-HAART sample

The psychosocial consequences of HLV-infection were studied using a semi-structured interview and the psychiatric questionnaire SCL-90-R, in 3 matched groups of homosexual men: 20 patients with Aids, 20 asymptomatic HIV-infected and 20 non-infected controls. The data was collected before the HAART (Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy) era. The results showed that the infected subjects more often concealed their homosexuality, engaged in more risky sexual behavior and were less inclined to regard AIDS as a serious problem. The infected subjects also revealed more psychopathology on 5 of the 9 indexes on the SCL-90. Across all 3 groups, contact ability was correlated to being open about homosexuality and to psychological well-being. These results indicate that HIV has considerable impact on psychological well-being among the infected and point to the need for health-care workers to be especially attentive to those HIV-infected who have difficulty in talking to others about their situation.