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Review
. 2017 Feb:51:164-184.
doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.11.005. Epub 2016 Nov 17.

Anxiety symptoms and disorders among adults living with HIV and AIDS: A critical review and integrative synthesis of the empirical literature

Charles Brandt  1 , Michael J Zvolensky  2 , Steven P Woods  3 , Adam Gonzalez  4 , Steven A Safren  5 , Conall M O'Cleirigh  6
Affiliations
Review

Anxiety symptoms and disorders among adults living with HIV and AIDS: A critical review and integrative synthesis of the empirical literature

Charles Brandt et al. Clin Psychol Rev. 2017 Feb.

Abstract

There are over 35 million people worldwide infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and its progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS; WHO, 2014). With the advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (i.e., cART) in 1996, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) now have much longer life expectancies. However, living with HIV remains challenging, as it is associated with a number of significant and recurrent (chronic) stressors including physical pain, side effects of cART, social stigma, and discrimination, among other social stressors. Presumably, as a result of these types of stressors, a disproportionately high number of PLWHA struggle with clinically-significant psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Although much scientific and clinical attention has focused on depressed mood and psychopathology among PLWHA, there has been comparably less focus on anxiety and its disorders. The paucity of work in this area is concerning from a public health perspective, as anxiety symptoms and disorders are the most common class of psychiatric disorders and often maintain a large negative impact on life functioning.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRIMSA study selection guidelines.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of anxiety disorders as diagnosed by questionnaire compared to interview.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Rates of anxiety disorders among PLWHA using diagnostic interview.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Rates of anxiety disorders in developed compared to developing countries.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Rates of anxiety disorders in drug-using compared to non-drug using groups.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Model of HIV and anxiety relation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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