Suicide probability and psychological morbidity secondary to HIV infection: a control study of HIV-seropositive, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-seropositive and HIV/HCV-seronegative injecting drug users.
BACKGROUND
Suicide ideation and psychological morbidity among HIV-positive patients has been the object of intense research. No study has investigated this area among injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV and those infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which has the same patterns of transmission of the HIV and may favour HIV replication and, possibly, HIV disease progression.


METHODS
In order to examine the prevalence and characteristics of suicide ideation and psychological morbidity associated with HIV and HCV infection in IDUs, a sample of HIV+ (n=81), HIV-/HCV+ (n=62) and HIV-/HCV- (n=152) subjects completed the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).


RESULTS
No difference was found between the groups as far as the mean scores on SPS and the risk of suicide (no-low risk category: 70.7% HIV+, 56.09% HCV+, 65.6% HIV-/HCV-). Estimated psychological morbidity (BSI) (26.9% HIV+, 27.1% HCV+, 25.4% of HIV-/HCV-) and BSI and HADS scores were comparable across the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Suicide ideation, psychological morbidity and anxiety and depression symptoms seemed not to be directly influenced by HIV-serostatus. Careful assessment of psychological symptoms and suicide ideas among IDUs, as a vulnerable segment of population at risk of HIV and HCV infections, needs to be routinely carried out in clinical settings.
Grassi
L
L
Department of Medical Sciences of Communication and Behavior, Section of Psychiatry, the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatric Service and Psychiatric Unit, University of Ferrara, C.so Giovecca 203, 44100, Ferrara, Italy. luigi.grassi@unife.it
Mondardini
D
D
Pavanati
M
M
Sighinolfi
L
L
Serra
A
A
Ghinelli
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires