About one in five people with HIV have symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which in a recent study was associated with lower rates of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, adherence to treatment and full suppression of the virus. Researchers analyzed survey data on 3,654 people who were a representative sample of the U.S. HIV population. Nineteen percent of the people with HIV had GAD—compared with a 2.7% prevalence among the general U.S. population. The people with HIV had higher rates of anxiety symptoms if they were women, lacked a college education, were living in poverty or had recently experienced homelessness. Among those with and without GAD, 82% versus 87% were on ARVs; 51% versus 62% of those on ARVs took their meds every day; and 56% versus 64% had a sustained undetectable viral load. People with GAD were also more likely to smoke and use drugs compared to those without the anxiety disorder.


Istock (Model(s) used for illustrative purposes only)
Concerns: High Anxiety
A high proportion of people with HIV suffer from anxiety, which is associated with lower rates of HIV treatment and adherence to treatment.
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