Psychosomatic Medicine Faster Service from Outside North America
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Holmes, W. C.
Right arrow Articles by Hutelmyer, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Holmes, W. C.
Right arrow Articles by Hutelmyer, C.

Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 59, Issue 2 187-192, Copyright © 1997 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and quality of life: the potential impact of Axis I psychiatric disorders in a sample of 95 HIV seropositive men

WC Holmes, B Bix, M Meritz, J Turner and C Hutelmyer
Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia 19104-6021, USA. holmeswc@mail.med.upenn

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess whether Axis I psychiatric disorders exert effects on function and well-being independent of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related disease progression. METHODS: A convenience sample of 95 HIV seropositive individuals completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-20). The Standardized Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-NP-HIV) was used to screen subjects for Axis I psychiatric disorders in the previous 6 months. HIV-related disease severity was defined for each subject using the 1993 revised Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Classification System. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (39%) subjects had asymptomatic HIV disease and 58 (61%) had symptomatic disease. Thirty-three (35%) subjects had Axis I disorders in the previous 6 months. After controlling for HIV-related disease severity, psychiatric disorders were independently associated with substantive decrements in the mental health and health perceptions dimension scores (beta-coefficients were approximately -18.0 for both dimensions; p < or = 0.01). Axis I disorders were also associated with decrements in the social functioning dimension at a p value that approached significance (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In HIV seropositive individuals, the presence of an Axis I psychiatric disorder in the previous 6 months is associated with diminished scores in multiple areas of functioning and well-being, independent of HIV-related disease progression. Axis I disorders, therefore, appear to impact quality of life. These findings, in part, suggest that the SF-20 (the mental health subscale, in particular) may have utility as a screening tool for the presence of a recent Axis I diagnosis.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
C. D. Sherbourne, R. D. Hays, J. A. Fleishman, B. Vitiello, K. M. Magruder, E. G. Bing, D. McCaffrey, A. Burnam, D. Longshore, F. Eggan, et al.
Impact of Psychiatric Conditions on Health-Related Quality of Life in Persons With HIV Infection
Am J Psychiatry, February 1, 2000; 157(2): 248 - 254.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 JWatch PsychiatryHome page
HIV Axis I Disorders, Quality of Life, and Treatment
Journal Watch Psychiatry, May 1, 1997; 1997(501): 11 - 11.
[Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1997 by the American Psychosomatic Society