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Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and history of childhood traumas in HIV-positive patients.
Method: 70 HIV-positive patients, who applied to Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital Infectious Diseases outpatient clinic between January 2013 and January 2014 were enrolled in the study. All patients were evaluated with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and a sociodemographic form.
Results: 58.6% of the HIV-positive patients were heterosexual males (n=41), 34.2% were homosexual males (n=24) and 7.2% were heterosexual females (n=5). 47.1% of the patients had at least one current psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric disorder was major depression (31.4%). Comorbid psychiatric disorders other than depression in order of frequency were psychoactive substance abuse or dependence (15.7%), alcohol abuse or dependence (12.8%), obsessive–compulsive disorder (10%), panic disorder (8.6%), bipolar disorder (7.5%), agoraphobia (7.1%), antisocial personality disorder (7.1%), social anxiety disorder (4.3%), generalized anxiety disorder (4.3%), bulimia nervosa (1.4%). 38.6% of the patients reported at least one type of childhood trauma and 25.7% of the patients reported two or more types of childhood traumas. The most frequent childhood trauma was emotional neglect (25.7%). In HIV-positive patients with diagnosed depression, there have been statistically significant higher rates in emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, compared with HIV-positive patients with no diagnosed depression (respectively p=0.009, p=0.012, p=0.001).
Conclusion: HIV-positive patients have variable comorbid psychiatric disorders. History of childhood trauma is common among HIV-positive patients.