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Published on: June 11, 2011
Depression in Children with HIV Infection: A Case Series.
Joshua Caballero1, Katalin I Koranyi, Michael T Brady
1Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH ; College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio ; Cooperative Pharmacy Program, University of Texas at Pan American, Edinburg, Texas.
Summary
Antidepressants may help reduce depression in children and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This case series showed mild to moderate symptom improvement with minor side effects in pediatric HIV patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Child and adolescent psychiatry
- Clinical pharmacology
Background:
- Approximately 46,000 individuals under 25 have HIV/AIDS.
- One-third of HIV patients may develop depression.
- Limited data exist on antidepressant use in pediatric HIV patients.
Observation:
- A case series of seven pediatric patients with HIV was analyzed.
- Patients were prescribed antidepressants for depressive symptoms.
- Outcomes regarding depressive symptoms, adverse events, and virologic/immunologic markers were monitored.
Findings:
- Six of seven patients showed mild to moderate improvement in depressive symptoms.
- No suicidal ideations or significant adverse events were reported.
- No drug-drug interactions or negative impacts on CD4 counts or viral load were observed.
Implications:
- Antidepressants may be a viable treatment option for depression in pediatric HIV patients.
- Further placebo-controlled, randomized studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
- This research could inform clinical guidelines for managing mental health in young people with HIV.
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