Depression and affective temperaments are associated with poor health-related quality of life in patients with HIV infection

Abstract

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represents one of the most chronic and debilitating infections worldwide. Hopelessness and affective temperaments (mood that is characteristic of an individual's habitual functioning) may play important roles in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine affective temperaments in a sample of patients with HIV, the impact of hopelessness on HRQoL, and associations among HRQoL, hopelessness, and affective temperaments.

Methods: The study involved 88 participants who were administered the short- form health survey (SF-36), the Beck hopelessness scale (BHS), the suicidal history self-rating screening scale (SHSS), the Gotland male depression scale (GMDS), and the temperament evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A).

Results: Patients with a poorer HRQoL reported more severe depression and hopelessness than patients with a higher HRQoL. Patients with a poorer HRQoL also had higher scores on all dimensions of the TEMPS-A with a depressive component compared to patients with a higher HRQoL. The small sample size in this study limits the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion: Patients with a poorer HRQoL were more depressed and also at an increased risk of suicide as indicated by the more severe hopelessness they reported compared to patients with higher HRQoL. These patients were also more likely to have depressive affective temperaments than those with a higher HRQoL.