Has there been a decrease in the prevalence of mood disorders in HIV-seropositive individuals since the introduction of combination therapy?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of current mood disorders in HIV-seropositive patients treated with combined antiretroviral drug therapy including or not protease inhibitors.


METHODS
A random sample of 90 subjects consecutively attending, between February 1 and July 31, 1998, the outpatient unit of the Second Department of Infectious Diseases of the 'L. Sacco' Hospital in Milan was assessed by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIII-R (SCID) and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS).


RESULTS
Twenty-three-point-three percent of the subjects were classified in CDC stage A, 32.3% in CDC stage B and 44.4% in CDC stage C. A DSMIII-R psychiatric diagnosis of current mood disorder was found in 4.4% of the recruited sample (dysthymia: 2.2%; adjustment disorder with depressed mood: 2.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Direct and indirect effect of new combination therapies, epidemiological changes in social groups affected by HIV and possible modifications in social perception of people with HIV infection may explain, at least in part, the decreased prevalence of current mood disorders observed in our study as compared to prevalence rates reported in the pre-HAART era.
Alciati
A
A
Department of Psychiatry, Ospedale L. Sacco, Milan, Italy.
Starace
F
F
Scaramelli
B
B
Campaniello
M
M
Adriani
B
B
Mellado
C
C
Cargnel
A
A
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D019469:Indinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D019469:Indinavir; D019258:Saquinavir