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Depression and HIV/AIDS

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Abstract

HIV/AIDS continues to be a significant public health problem. Millions of people worldwide are infected with this virus daily, and thousands die yearly of AIDS-related illnesses. Despite rapid advances in our knowledge about HIV and its mode of transmission, we have been unable to find a cure or prevent new infections. Psychiatric comorbidity is associated with HIV/AIDS: as a risk factor for HIV infection, a comorbidity of HIV infection, sequelae of HIV/AIDS, and a potential mediator for progression to AIDS. In this article, we focus on depression, which is prevalent in HIV/AIDS. We review the evidence associating depression with HIV, the challenges in recognizing depression in HIV-positive individuals, and the psychopharmacologic strategies known to be effective in the treatment of HIV-positive individuals with depression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Behavioral Health Center, 3440 Market Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Tami D. Benton

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  1. Tami D. Benton
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Correspondence to Tami D. Benton.

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Benton, T.D. Depression and HIV/AIDS. Curr Psychiatry Rep 10, 280–285 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-008-0045-y

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