The quality of life of HIV-infected women is associated with psychiatric morbidity

This study evaluated the effect of clinical, demographic and psychiatric factors on the health-related quality of life of 76 women with HIV infection seen in two HIV reference centres in Brazil. The generic questionnaire for evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life (SF-36), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) were used. The statistical tests included the covariance analysis. The patients' mean age was 37.4 years; 44.7% had less than 8 years of schooling. A total of 44.8% were asymptomatic, 28.9% symptomatic non-AIDS and 26.3% had AIDS. Most (77.6%) used two or three kinds of antiretrovirals; 36.8 and 30.3% achieved scores for anxiety and depression, respectively (HAD); and 48.7% for conspicuous psychiatric morbidity (CIS-R). The sub-group of the non-AIDS symptoms (clinical stage B) showed the worst quality of life. The variables which better explained the scoring variation on both the mental and physical components of the SF-36 were related to mental health. The more mental symptoms present, the worse the health-related quality of life. We must rethink care strategies in the area of mental health which are directed toward HIV+ patients, by virtue of the levels of mental symptoms found and the request for care which the research revealed.