title: Psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychiatric morbidity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is being studied all over the world. There is paucity of Indian literature particularly in asymptomatic HIV individuals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the following study is to establish the prevalence and the determinants of psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic HIV patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess psychiatric morbidity as per ICD-10 dacryocystorhinostomy criteria in 100 consecutive asymptomatic seropositive HIV patients and an equal number of age, sex, education, economic and marital status matched HIV seronegative control. All subjects were assessed with the general health questionnaire (GHQ), mini mental status examination, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and sensation seeking scale (SSS) and the scores were analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asymptomatic HIV positive patients had significantly higher GHQ caseness and depression but not anxiety on HADS as compared to HIV seronegative controls. On SSS asymptomatic HIV seropositive subjects showed significant higher scores in thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking and boredom susceptibility as compared to controls. HIV seropositive patients had significantly higher incidence of total psychiatric morbidity. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychiatric morbidity is higher in asymptomatic HIV patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls. High sensation seeking and substance abuse found in HIV seropositive patients may play a vital role in engaging in high-risk behavior resulting in this dreaded illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University), Rural Medical College, Loni, District Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Suprakash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sudarsanan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Srivastava
keywords: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; anxiety; depression; human immunodeficiency virus; psychiatric morbidity; sensation seeking; substance abuse