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How does HIV affect mental health?
It is important for people living with HIV to know that they have a higher chance of developing mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders. For example, depression is one of the most common mental health conditions faced by people living with HIV. It is important to remember that mental disorders are treatable.
Can HIV cause altered mental status?
HIV-infected patients are vulnerable to developing altered mental status (AMS) for myriad reasons, including the effects of HIV itself, the accompanying immune dysfunction, associated systemic illness, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and complicated medication regimens.
Does HIV medication cause mental health problems?
However, some antiretroviral medications may cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, and may make some mental health issues worse. Talk to your health care provider to better understand how your HIV treatment might affect your mental health and if anything can be done to address the side effects.
How does HIV lead to depression?
Illness, stress and social problems often cause depression to develop. For example, the physical effects of HIV disease progression itself can trigger depression. Experiencing a number of significant losses in life in a short period of time can also trigger a depressive episode.
Why is mental health important for people with HIV?
Mental health refers to a person’s overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Good mental health helps people make healthy choices, reach personal goals, develop healthy relationships, and cope with stress. For people with HIV, taking care of both physical and mental health are important.
What are the psychological manifestations of HIV/AIDS?
Psychiatric manifestations of HIV/AIDS. • They become vulnerable to pneumonia, sepsis, soft tissue infections, endocarditis, tuberculosis, STDs, viral hepatitis infection & coinfection with human CD4 cell lymphotrophic virus, lymphomas. • Neurological symptoms can overlap between HIV infection and substance abuse.
What are the causes of stress in HIV patients?
Having a serious illness, like HIV, can be another source of major stress. You may find that living with HIV challenges your sense of well-being or complicates existing mental health conditions. HIV, and some opportunistic infections, can also affect your nervous system and can lead to changes in your behavior.
How does HIV affect the body and mind?
In people with HIV, HIV infection and related opportunistic infections can affect the brain and the rest of the nervous system. This may lead to changes in how a person thinks and behaves.