Psychiatric disorders in HIV-positive individuals in urban Uganda
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Date
205
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Psychiatric Bulletin
Abstract
There is a well-documented strong association between
depressive disorders and HIV/AIDS (e.g. Maj et al, 1994;
Perkins et al, 1994; Judd et al, 1997). High levels of
depression are seen in people with HIV/AIDS attending
primary care clinics (Savetsky et al, 2001) and in HIV
medical clinics (Lyketsos et al, 1994a). There appears to
be a sustained rise in depressive symptoms as AIDS
develops (Lyketsos et al, 1994b). Depression is also associated
with HIV-related risk behaviours among those
without HIV (Kelly et al, 1993). Nevertheless, most
persons affected by HIV/AIDS in Uganda do not receive
any care for their mental health problems.
The early cases of AIDS were described in Uganda,
but there has been little work examining the existence of
psychiatric disorders in AIDS/HIV in that country. The
national rate of HIV at the end of 2003 was 4.1%
(UNAIDS, 2004), but is as high as 13% in war-torn
northern Uganda. Of adult deaths at Mulago Hospital,
Kampala, 60-70% are attributable to HIV.Wilk & Bolton
(2002) investigated how people in two districts of
Uganda (Masaka and Rakai), which have been severely
affected by HIV, perceive the mental health affects of the
disease. The individuals interviewed described two independent
depression-like syndromes resulting from the
HIV epidemic and rates of depressive disorder were estimated
to be 21% in these districts (Bolton et al, 2004).
Anecdotal evidence also links HIV/AIDS to suicide in
Uganda (Musisi et al, 2001; Kinyanda & Musisi, 2002).
Description
Keywords
Psychiatric disorders, HIV-positive individuals, Urban Uganda
Citation
Petrushkin, H., Boardman, J., & Ovuga, E. (2005). Psychiatric disorders in HIV-positive individuals in urban Uganda. Psychiatric Bulletin, 29(12), 455-458.