Depressão em pacientes HIV positivos: a realidade de um hospital português

Abstract

Este artigo está licenciado sob forma de uma licença Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional, que permite uso irrestrito, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, desde que a publicação original seja corretamente citada. ABSTRACTAims: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among people infected with HIV. This study aims to characterize the Hospital of Joaquim Urbano population of HIV-infected patients' profile regarding depressive symptoms and whether they correlate with the analytical parameters most frequently evaluated in the context of infection by this virus -HIV viral load, CD4+ count and CD4+ percentage. Methods:We conducted an observational descriptive and analytical study. The participants' level of depressive symptoms was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory. The medical and psychiatric history and the analytical values of viral load, CD4+ count and CD4+ percentage were obtained by consulting the participants' clinical processes. Results: A prevalence of 65.5% in HIV-infected patients' depressive symptoms was found, with a considerable high percentage of subjects presenting with severe symptoms (32.7%). No associations between the depressive symptoms' levels and CD4+ count, CD4+ percentage or viral load were found. However, depressive symptoms were associated with substance abuse and education level. Conclusions:The high prevalence of depressive symptoms found in this study reinforces the importance of monitoring this type of symptoms in HIV-infected subjects. The fact that there have been no associations between depressive symptoms and the analytical parameters evaluated is in line with previous studies.

sychiatry and HIV infection: what changed?

“…A recent study with HIV-infected patients admitted in an hospital in Oporto shows the opposite trend, in which the most frequent way of transmission was injecting drug use (77.6%), followed by heterosexual risk behaviors (16.8%) and homosexual risk behaviors (5.6%) [21]. Figure 1.…”

Associação entre qualidade de vida, bem-estar subjetivo e adesão ao tratamento de pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS

“…Alguns sintomas psiquiátricos, como agitação, mania, alucinações e paranoia, podem estar presentes nos indivíduos em estágios tardios na infecção por HIV e AIDS (ZUGE et al, 2017). Aproximadamente metade dos doentes infectados pelo HIV manifesta diagnóstico concomitante com patologias psiquiátricas e, destes, cerca de 50% permanecem sem tratamento (FREITAS; FERNANDES; MORGADO, 2015).…”

Hope for life and depression: people living with hiv/aids

“…12 A study of 107 seropositive individuals in Portugal demonstrated a prevalence of depressive symptoms of 65.5% in HIV-infected individuals. 13 Numerous times, the psychological effects caused in these patients is not considered, since they do not constitute a symptom of the disorder itself. 14 Bearing in mind this context, the following two simple measures should be adopted: the monitoring of depressive symptoms that favors the early diagnosis of depression and, consequently, its adequate treatment.…”

“…These are of great relevance because they allow the detection and consequently the early treatment of depressive symptoms that may negatively influence the quality of life of seropositive individuals, while preventing the adoption of risk behaviors and failure to adhere to ART, improving the health of these patients by preventing the development of resistant strains of the virus and preventing the spread of HIV. 13 Quality of life of people bearing HIV is more constrained, because in this situation, the individual changes his way of relating to the world, re-evaluating concepts, values and beliefs, reviewing postures, behaviors, and attitudes in the new context. These changes can raise feelings and uncertainties such as fear of death, uncertainty of the future, the stigma of disease and anxiety, generating intense suffering for the patient.…”