November 5, 2007

A Life of Stress May Speed Up HIV Progression

Long-term psychological distress may speed up HIV disease progression and lead to early death, according to a new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. The study is featured in the November 1 edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry (ScienceDaily.com, 11/5).

“Trauma and depression are common among people with HIV, and trauma and depression seem to have an effect on disease progression and mortality in HIV,” says Jane Leserman, PhD, lead author of the study and professor of psychiatry and medicine. “Given that, it is critical that clinicians treating people infected with HIV recognize depression and trauma as risk factors for poor health outcomes.”

Researchers interviewed nearly 500 people living with HIV in the rural southeast, and found that individuals reporting a greater number of traumatic experiences progressed to AIDS and died due to AIDS-related illness sooner than others. More than half of those studied had experienced physical or sexual abuse.

Researchers suggest that combining highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with cognitive treatments and medication may benefit people living with both HIV and severe trauma.