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HIV patients with psychiatric disorders are less likely to discontinue HAART

Seth Himelhoch1, Clayton H Brown, James Walkup

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21212, USA. shimelho@psych.umaryland.edu

AIDS (London, England)
|July 21, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with psychiatric disorders were less likely to stop Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) during the first two years of treatment. Increased mental health visits further reduced the risk of HAART discontinuation in HIV patients.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Psychiatric disorders are common among individuals with HIV.
  • Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) is crucial for managing HIV.
  • Discontinuation of HAART can lead to treatment failure and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between psychiatric disorders and HAART discontinuation rates in HIV-infected individuals.
  • To determine if the frequency of mental health visits influences HAART discontinuation.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study analyzing data from 4989 HIV patients (2000-2005).
  • Discrete time survival analysis used to assess time to HAART discontinuation.
  • Psychiatric diagnosis (serious mental illness, depressive disorders) and mental health visit frequency were key predictors.

Main Results:

  • Patients with serious mental illness were significantly less likely to discontinue HAART in the first and second years.
  • Patients with depressive disorders showed a reduced likelihood of HAART discontinuation in the first year.
  • Increased mental health visits (≥6 per year) were associated with a lower risk of HAART discontinuation.

Conclusions:

  • Psychiatric disorders are linked to lower rates of HAART discontinuation in the initial years of HIV treatment.
  • Regular engagement with mental health services appears protective against HAART discontinuation in this population.
Abstract

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