Category Archives: Mental Health
Which psychological factors are related to HIV testing? A quantitative systematic review of global studies
Deciding to test for HIV is necessary for receiving HIV treatment and care among those who are HIV-positive. This article presents a systematic review of quantitative studies on relationships between...
Improving mental health among people living with HIV: A review of intervention trials in low- and middle-income countries
People living with HIV (PLWH) experience greater psychological distress than the general population. Evidence from high-incomes countries suggests that psychological interventions for PLWH can improve mental health symptoms, quality of...
Comparative safety and neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with efavirenz use in first-line antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
INTRODUCTION: Efavirenz (EFV) is widely used for the treatment of antiretroviral-naive HIV-positive individuals, but there are concerns about the risk of adverse neuropsychiatric events. We systematically reviewed the safety of...
Depression and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in low-, middle- and high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
We investigated the associations between depressive symptoms and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV). We searched the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL databases for studies...
Validity of cognitive screens for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder: A systematic review and an informed screen selection guide.
Various screening tools have been proposed to identify HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). However, there has been no systematic review of their strengths and weaknesses in detecting HAND when compared to...
Meta-analysis of the relationship between HIV infection and risk for depressive disorders
Objective: Each of 10 published studies investigating the relationship between HIV infection and risk for depressive disorders concluded that HIV-positive individuais are at no greater risk for depression than comparable...
What is the evidence for effectiveness of interventions to enhance coping among people living with HIV disease? A systematic review
As new treatments enhance mortality, and infection rates continue to grow in many communities, the concept of “living well” with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is essential. The concept of...
Understanding HIV-related posttraumatic stress disorder in South Africa: A review and conceptual framework
A number of epidemiological studies have attempted to measure the prevalence of HIV-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review of the literature identified eight relevant studies...
A systematic review of the impact of alcohol use disorders on HIV treatment outcomes, adherence to antiretroviral therapy and health care utilization
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are highly prevalent and associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy, decreased health care utilization and poor HIV treatment outcomes among HIV-infected individuals. OBJECTIVES: To systematically...
Diagnostic accuracy of the International HIV Dementia Scale and HIV Dementia Scale: A meta-analysis.
This aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) or HIV Dementia Scale (HDS) for the diagnosis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders...
HIV infection associated post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth – A systematic review
The phenomenon of post-traumatic stress has been well documented in the literature as a lasting mental health condition associated with exposure to traumatic life events. The diagnosis and experience of...
What is the relevance of mental health to HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs in developing countries? A systematic review
The expansion of AIDS treatment initiatives in resource-poor settings provides an opportunity for integrating mental health care into these programs. This systematic review of the literature on HIV and mental...
