title: Identification of psychiatric disorders among human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals in Taiwan, a nine-year nationwide population-based study.
abstract: A previous survey had shown a high level of psychiatric morbidity among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals, but the number of patients that are actually identified as having a psychiatric disorder in the medical service in Taiwan is unknown. Using the claims data of a nationally representative cohort from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, the diagnoses of psychiatric disorders among newly diagnosed HIV-infected individuals were investigated from 1998 through 2006. Two hundred and seventy-four (23.8%) of 1153 newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients were identified as having psychiatric disorders, with an average latency of 3.33±2.47 years after HIV infection. Anxiety and depressive disorders were the leading diagnoses. Male patients had lower morbidity (21.0% vs. 25.3%, p=0.056), but a shorter latency to be identified with a psychiatric disorder (2.1±2.13 vs. 3.9±2.40 years, p<0.001) than females. This first population-based cohort study showed a high morbidity of psychiatric disorders among HIV-infected individuals, but with a long latency after infection, and a gender effect was noted. Regular psychiatric evaluation and follow-up and prompt intervention are necessary for HIV-infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mu-Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tung-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Tzeng-Ji
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ju-Yin
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Han-Ting
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ya-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult