Living With the Psychological Affects of HIVUS News
By Hannah Webster 7 hours ago
More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV -- and when they first heard the word "positive," many were thrust into feelings of anger, sadness and denial.
"There are some people who suspect they are HIV positive but go a very long time without testing, and then there are other people who test for whatever reason and turn out positive," says Mallory Johnson, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of California--San Francisco School of Medicine and co-director of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. "Those tend to be the extremes of the experience."
Disbelief and shock, Johnson says, are the most common responses.
Of those living with the virus in the U.S., nearly 1 in 7 are unaware of their infection. HIV weakens the immune system by destroying cells meant to combat infection and disease; AIDS is the final stage of the infection, when the immune system has been severely damaged. Not all HIV-positive individuals will develop AIDS -- medicine now allows people with the virus to live long, healthy lives.
Still, receiving a chronic diagnosis like HIV is likely to produce emotional distress. Here's a look at the toll such a diagnosis takes, as well as how patients can tend to their psychological health.
The Mental Side
In any given year, around 1 in 5 American adults will experience a diagnosable mental illness. And people living with HIV are at an increased risk of developing a mood, cognitive or anxiety disorder, according to AIDS.gov. Depression, the most common mental health condition among the general population, is particularly likely among those who are HIV positive.
Depression's ramifications can extend beyond emotional health and cause physical problems as well, says Sheryl Catz, a clinical psychologist and professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California--Davis. Often, depressed patients fail to stick to their medicine regimens as they should.
"We did find across the board that people who were depressed had a more difficult time with their adherence, " says Catz, who researches HIV, health behavior and chronic disease management.
Peter Vanable, a professor and chair of psychology at Syracuse University, has conducted extensive research on the behavioral aspects of HIV and coping. He analyzed, for example, how HIV stigma affects mental health and medication adherence. "A significant subset of men and women who are HIV positive experience social rejection from family, from loved-ones [and] from partners, and those experiences of discrimination and rejection can really play out in difficult ways," Vanable says.
The way people react to news of an HIV diagnosis, he continues, can shape a patient's long-term psychological response. "People's experiences with social rejection, and people's internalized feelings of self-rejection tend to go hand-in-hand," Vanable says.
Coping Strategies
No one coping strategy will best serve all patients, experts say. Still, patients should disclose their status to at least one trustworthy person, says Robert Remien, a professor of clinical psychology and director of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University.
"I am a big believer [that] psychologically, it is important people not be entirely isolated with their HIV diagnosis, and they are not living entirely alone with it," he says.
But who to tell -- and when it makes sense to do so -- is a personal decision.
"There's not a need for everyone to have everyone in their life know," Remien says. "It's a chronic illness, and people live with all kinds of chronic things that they may or may not talk about."
Johnson agrees that telling at least one person typically helps patients deal with the diagnosis in the healthiest way.
Though telling someone soon after the diagnosis is helpful, patients should remember that they're in control. "We never recommend people disclose or not disclose -- it's something [they] have to work through, and they are the best judge of who is safe or OK to tell," Catz says. "But we do see a tremendous burden lifted off people when they have a network of [supporters] who are aware of their status."
Patients shouldn't feel like they can only find support within their typical social circle, Catz continues. Organized HIV support groups are often beneficial, especially for those who don't know other HIV-positive people. It can also be beneficial to reach out to people through online support groups and medical providers.
"It's really helpful to connect people to services where they are able to feel open about discussing their status," she says. "People sometimes join our studies who have never told anyone in their social network that they have HIV, but they have this need to talk about the issues they're facing."
Regardless of the medium, Vanable says initial support should ideally come from someone comfortable with open discussion: "Finding a supportive community of people who are well-informed and capable of being of help to someone who is newly diagnosed and coping with the disease is really key."
He adds that professional support, like seeing a psychologist or social worker, can also benefit people when they first learn they have HIV. "If people are having difficulties, and difficulties are quite common, seeking mental health services is absolutely appropriate and can be incredibly helpful."
http://news.yahoo.com/living-psychological-affects-hiv-172220531.html
New SMAC quizzes available.
