Axis I psychiatric symptoms associated with HIV infection and personality disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalences of personality disorders among HIV-positive and HIV-negative homosexual men were compared, and the presence of personality disorders was related to axis I psychiatric disorders, psychiatric distress, and impaired functioning.


METHODS
The subjects were 162 homosexual men who either were HIV seronegative (N = 52) or were seropositive and had absent to moderate physical symptoms (N = 110). Lifetime and current histories of DSM-III-R axis I disorders, current diagnoses of DSM-III-R personality disorders, and levels of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and adaptive functioning were assessed.


RESULTS
In both the seropositive and seronegative groups, 19% of the study participants were diagnosed with personality disorders. The seropositive participants with personality disorders reported higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and poorer functioning than all participants without personality disorders, and they were over six times as likely as the seronegative participants without personality disorders to have current axis I disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that HIV infection and personality disorders may interactively increase the likelihood of clinically significant psychiatric symptoms.
Johnson
J G
JG
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
Williams
J B
JB
Rabkin
J G
JG
Goetz
R R
RR
Remien
R H
RH
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales