HIV STATUS, SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCY, AND PSYCHIATRIC-DIAGNOSIS

The differences in DSM-III-R psychiatric diagnoses between HIV-positiv e and HIV-negative patients were assessed. Subjects were patients admi tted for psychiatric treatment to a metropolitan, state-supported faci lity. Experimental group subjects consisted of all adult patients iden tified as HIV-positive. Control group subjects were non-HIV-positive a dult patients of the same gender and within 10 years in age of the exp erimental group subjects. Results suggest that HIV-positive subjects w ere significantly more likely to have received a personality disorder diagnosis and to have a history of intravenous psychoactive substance use. The likelihood of HIV-positive subjects to have a lower incidence of thought disorder diagnosis than non-HIV-positive subjects approach ed significance. No significant differences were obtained for diagnose s of psychoactive substance use disorders, psychoactive substance-indu ced organic mental disorders, mood disorders, or schizoaffective disor der. The diagnosis of a personality disorder and/or prior intravenous psychoactive substance use are possible indicators of, and additional risk factors for, the HIV-positive status of a patient.