Depression and health related quality of life among HIV-infected people

Abstract

Little is known about the impact of comorbid psychiatric symptoms in health related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with HIV infection. The aim of this investigation was to describe depressive symptoms and the impact in HRQL in HIV infected people. A cross-sectional study over 150 HIV-outpatients in a tertiary hospital was designed. Depression data were obtained using the Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II) inventory. HRQL data were collected by disease-specific questionnaire MOS-HIV. Researchers' team designed a specific template to get rest of the data. Almost three-quarters of the population were men. After adjusting for gender and age, HIV-related symptoms and presence of depression were found to be negatively associated with all the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) general domains and in the Physical Health Summary score and Mental Health Summary score. Optimization of HRQL is particularly important now that HIV is a chronic disease with the prospect of long-term survival. Quality of life and depression should be monitored in follow-up of HIV infected patients. Comorbid psychiatric conditions may serve as markers for impaired functioning and well-being in persons with HIV.