The impact of HSV infection on psychiatric status of patients correlates with the disease nature and duration. Recurrent genital herpes can have a major impact on sufferers' sex lives. HSV recurrences are often accompanied by anxiety and depression, up to suicidal attempts.

Purpose of this study is to investigate clinical typology of depressive disorders of HSV patients.

The clinical structure of the depressive disorders was estimated in 44 outpatients (26 men and 18 women, mean age - 31,2) with frequent genital HSV recurrences (>6 per year). Depressive disorders were diagnosed with a help of psychopathological method and the following psychometric scales: HAM-D-21; CGI-S and SOFAS. The normal values for each scale are <7, >80 and ?2 respectively.

Our screening data revealed depressive disorders in 32 of 44 patients. According to ICD-10 classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, recurrent depressive disorder, current episode mild [F33.0] was revealed in 15 patients (34,1%); recurrent depressive disorder, current episode moderate [F33.1] in 11 cases (25,0%) and dysthymia [F34.1] in 6 patients (13,6%).

These results testified that patients with genital herpes need psychiatric consultation. If an affective disorder is revealed a combined therapy should include both specific antivirus treatment and antidepressant therapy: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) or Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).