Emotional and psychopathological disturbances in HIV-infection

1. The evaluation of emotional disturbances, depression and anxiety in 25 HIV-Positive paired with 25 HIV-Negative male homosexuals and a control group of 15 HIV-Negative male heterosexual have shown the presence of emotional perturbations and especially of an emotional blunting, in absence of depressive or anxious episode in HIV-Positive subjects. 2. Emotional perturbations were the lowest in the HIV-Negative heterosexual group. 3. These results raise the question of the emotional deficit as an adaptative process or as the direct action of the virus. 4. Its relationship with the other emotional perturbations and their impact on the evolution of the disease are discussed.