Depressive symptoms reduced in individuals with HIV/AIDS treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy: a longitudinal study

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the stability of depr essive symptoms over time, explore possible reasons for the genesis of depr essive symptoms, examine psychosocial adjustment over time and examine the effects of the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a group of HIV infected patients. Method: HIV seropositive outpatients were assessed at 6 monthly intervals o ver a 2-year period. At each assessment patients completed the Beck Depress ion Inventory, the Life Event Inventory, the Core Bereavement Item question naire and the Psychosocial Adjustment to illness Scale. Details regarding H IV illness progression and antiretroviral treatment were recorded for each follow-up assessment. Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients completed the baseline assess ment and proceeded to the 2-year follow-up study. Most patients remained we ll over the 2-year follow-up period; mean CD4 count for the group increased over the study period. Ten patients developed AIDS and 18 patients died. A ntiretroviral medications changed significantly during the follow-up, with most patients changing to combination (triple) therapy, which included the use of a protease inhibitor. Psychosocial stressors (life event distress an d number of bereavements) reduced as the study progressed. Reported depress ive symptoms decreased over time and psychosocial adjustment to illness ten ded to improve over the 2-year period. Conclusions: Over a e-year follow-up period HIV/AIDS symptoms and illness m arkers and psychosocial adjustment to illness improved, psychological stres sors and depressive symptoms decreased, with a temporal relationship to cha nges in antiretroviral therapy.