Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:34:59.647Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental health of women with HIV infection: a study in Paris and London

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

JDC Mellers ,
N Marchand-Gonod ,
M King ,
V Laupa  and
JR Smith
JDC Mellers*
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3
N Marchand-Gonod
Affiliation:
Service de Prof M Gentilini, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris
M King
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3
V Laupa
Affiliation:
Service de Prof M Gentilini, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris
JR Smith
Affiliation:
Research Fellow in Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, Paddington, London W2, UK
*
*Correspondance and reprints: section of Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE3 8AF, UK
Get access

Summary

Psychiatric morbidity was assessed in 55 HIV seropositive women who were attending either an HIV centre in Paris (n = 30) or a genitourinary clinic in London (n = 25). Demographic data and information concerning HIV disease, openness about diagnosis, counselling received, social and family support, sexual behaviour and attitudes towards fertility and pregnancy were recorded using a semi-structured interview. Moderate or severe levels of psychiatric distress were found in 60% of the women in Paris and 28% of those in London. Overall, these rates are higher than those found in comparable studies of HIV seropositive men. Psychiatric disorder was associated with a past history of intravenous drug use and older age. Over half of the women were in regular sexual relationships but safe sex precautions were frequently not used. Sixteen subjects among those of child bearing age were prepared to consider having children.

Keywords

HIVpsychiatric disorderwomen
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 9 , Issue 5 , 1994 , pp. 241 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adler, MWABC of AIDS London:BMJ Publications, 1987;p13Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 3rd Edition, Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1987Google Scholar
Bradbeer, CWomen and HIV. BMJ 1989;298:342-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, GRRundell, JRProspective study of psychiatric morbidity in HIV-seropositive women without AIDS. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 1990;12:30-5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catalan, JBradley, MGallwey, JHawton, KSexual dysfunction and psychiatric morbidity in patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Br J Psychiatry 1981:138:292-6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catalan, JKlimes, IDay, AGarrot, ABond, AGallway, JThe psychosocial impact of HIV infection in Gay Men. Br J Psychiatry 1992;161:774-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chin, JCurrent and future dimensions of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in women and children. Lancet 1990;336:221-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, ADMDavies, CDelpo, MCDepression and anxiety in patients undergoing diagnostic investigations for head and neck cancers. Br J Psychiatry 1986;149:494-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
European Collaborative Study Risk factors for mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. Lancet 1992;339:1007–12CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldberg, DPCooper, BEastwood, MRKedward, HBShepherd M. A standardized psychiatric interview for use in community surveys. Br I Prev So Med 1970;24:18–23Google Scholar
Holmes, KKKaron, JMKreiss, JThe increasing frequency of heterosexually acquired AIDS in the United States, 1983-88. Am J Pub Health 1990;80:858-62CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnstone, FDBrettle, RPMacCallum, LRMok, JPeutherer, JFBurns, SWomen's knowledge of their HIV antibody state: its effect on their decision whether to continue the pregnancy. BMJ 1990;300:23-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, LCatalan, JWomen and HIV disease. Br J Hosp Med 1989;41: 526-38Google ScholarPubMed
King, MBAIDS and the general practitioner: the views of patients with HIV infection and AIDS. BMJ 1988;297:182-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, MBPsychosocial status of 192 out-patients with HIV infection and AIDS. Br J Psychiatry 1989;154:237-42CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maguire, GPJulier, DLHawton, KHBancroft, JHJPsychiatric morbidity and referral on two general medical wards. BMJ 1974;1:268-70CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nie, NStatistical Package for the Social Scientists. Chicago: McGraw-Hill, 1983Google Scholar
Perry, SJacohsberg, LCard, CAAshman, TFrances, AFishman, BSeverity of psychiatric symptoms alter HIV testing. Am J Psychiatry 1993;150:775-9Google Scholar
Selwyn, PACarter, RJSchoenbaum, EERobertson, VJKlein, RSRogers, MFKnowledge of HIV antibody status and decisions to continue or terminate pregnancy among intravenous drug users. JAMA 1989;261:3567-71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organisation Mental Disorders: Glossary and Guide to their Classification in Accordance with the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Geneva: WHO. 1978Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.