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Abstract #155716

Tania B. Basta, PhD, MPH, School of Health Sciences, Ohio University, Grover Center E331, Athens, OH 45701, 740-593-4681, basta@ohio.edu, Michael Reece, PhD, MPH, Dept of Applied Health Science, Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St, HPER 116, Bloomington, IN 47405, and Enbal Shacham, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, 40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108.

Background: African-Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV in the U.S. While the psychological implications of HIV infection have been well documented among Caucasians, little is known about the symptoms of psychological distress experienced by African-Americans. The purpose of this study was to examine 1) the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress experienced by African-Americans upon self-enrollment in HIV-related mental health care, and 2) compare the symptoms of psychological distress in this sample to the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) normative sample. Methods: Data were collected from 575 African-Americans, living with HIV, who self-enrolled at an HIV-related mental health clinic located in the Southeastern United States. Results: Nearly 20% of the sample reported a T-score > 63, a level indicative of psychiatric diagnosis, for somatization and paranoid ideation. When compared to the normative sample, this sample had significantly lower levels (p < .05) of anxiety, depression, generalized anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and phobic anxiety than the normative sample and had significantly higher levels of paranoid ideation and somatization than the normative sample. Conclusions: These results indicate that, overall, African-Americans presented for mental health services with lower levels of symptoms of psychological distress than the normative sample. To that end, it is possible that African-Americans living with HIV may underreport symptoms of psychological distress or may experience symptoms of psychological distress differently than other individuals. As a result, it is important that HIV-related service providers recognize these patterns of psychological distress and provide appropriate referrals to HIV-related mental health providers.

Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives

As a result of attending this presentation, attendees will be able to
• describe the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress among African-Americans self-enrolled in HIV-related mental health care,
• understand the differences between the symptoms of psychological distress in this sample versus the normative BSI sample, and
• identify the cultural factors that may help explain the differences between the symptoms of psychological distress and the normative BSI sample.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.