Abstract

ARRIAGA GARZA, Leticia et al. Affective states, psychic self-regulation and behavioral response to the disease among patients with clinical onset of AIDS. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2013, vol.32, n.4, pp. 389-401. ISSN 0864-0300.

Introduction: the relationship between HIV/AIDS and mental illness has been reported, but no studies have been conducted in Cuba about psychic alterations in patients at clinical onset of AIDS. Methods: study population: patients of both sexes with a diagnosis of AIDS onset within a year after diagnosis. The record system SIDATRAT was used to list and locate the cases. The purpose was to learn about the behavior of psychic variables in patients at clinical onset of AIDS and their association with immunocompetence. Results: estimation was made of affective states, psychic self-regulation, behavioral response to the disease, CD4+ lymphocytes and viral load in 42 patients at clinical onset of AIDS with and without psychopathological symptoms. Descriptive statistics analysis, ANOVA mean comparison, was performed to relate variables and robust confirmatory tests. Negative affective states were not good indicators of psychic alteration, with homogeneous means between the groups. "Reflexive decision making responsibility" predominated among symptomatic patients, with upper means for "discontrol" and lower means for "self-control", indicative of worst coping. High "self-control" scores were associated with a low viral load, but not with TL CD4+ counts. No psychic variable was related to immunocompetence.

Keywords : clinical onset of AIDS; affective states; coping; psychic vulnerability; personality; HIV/AIDS.

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