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PTSD is also a common mental disorder among individuals living with HIV/AIDS, 7 Times Greater. HIV itself can be a Traumatic PTSD Event
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this pooled estimated prevalence of PTSD among PLWH showed that PTSD is also a common mental disorder among individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the results of our study significantly underscore the importance of early assessment and trauma-directed psychological interventions for PLWH.
More effective intervention strategies targeting PTSD among PLWH are urgently needed.
The estimated global prevalence of PTSD in PLWH was 28%
The reported prevalence of PTSD in PLWH ranged from 1.6% to 54.1%.
PTSD prevalence among PLWH found in this study (28%) far exceeded that among the general population (3.9%).
being female is a risk factor associated with PTSD development
The pooled PTSD prevalence among women living with HIV, MSM living with HIV and non-MSM men living with HIV were 35% (95% CI 28% to 43%), 33% (95% CI 29% to 38%) and 20% (95% CI 17% to 23%), respectively.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition following exposure to a life-threatening event, or extreme or repeated exposure to traumatic events.4 A growing body of literature indicates that PLWH have a heightened risk for PTSD.5 6 PLWH are more likely to report a history of traumatic and stressful life experiences than the general population, including childhood sexual/physical abuse and intimate partner violence.7-9 PTSD may precede an HIV-positive diagnosis due to previous traumatic experiences. In addition, being diagnosed with HIV, a life-threatening illness, is a potentially traumatic event in and of itself, and PTSD may emerge as a result of this diagnosis. Infection with HIV causes a progressive destruction of the immune system, which increases the susceptibility to malignancies that threaten a person’s life, and being labelled and associated with HIV stigma, taking multiple daily medications and experiencing repeated unpleasant side effects constitute potentially traumatic events.10 These high rates of potential trauma exposure during the course of the illness may also increase the likelihood of developing PTSD.
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