Trends in HIV-related psychological distress and care seeking over 10 year period

Background: While a great deal of work has documented the mental health consequences of HIV-infection, only a limited amount of empirical research has documented the actual characteristics of those who seek HIV-related mental health care and the characteristics of such services over the history of the HIV epidemic. Methods: Data were collected from 3,100 individuals living with HIV who sought mental health care at an HIV-related clinic during the period 1998-2008. Analyses were conducted to examine the trends in psychological distress across a changing client population over the ten year period. Results: Analyses indicate that significant shifts have occurred with regard to the characteristics of individuals seeking care over the past decade, consistent with the changing incidence of HIV in the metropolitan area where the study was conducted. Additionally, clear patterns have emerged with regard to the nature of psychological distress symptoms that are presented across varying demographics, health status indicators, and levels of engagement with the HIV services infrastructure. Conclusions: These data provide the care delivery community with details of the nature of the mental health challenges of those living with HIV and offer insights for the continued development of linkages between mental health care and other primary care and social services.