Mental and emotional health problems

Emotional difficulties and problems with mental health can affect anybody, but living with a long-term illness like HIV can mean that you are more likely to experience depression, anxiety or another mental health problem. See also our section on Mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Other topics in this section

Mental and emotional health problems: latest news

Mental and emotional health problems resources

  • Other health issues

    As you get older, it’s even more important to regularly attend clinic appointments and stay in touch with your healthcare providers. Your HIV clinic appointments will include...

    From: Booklets

    Information level Level 2

  • Cognitive impairment and HIV

    Problems with thinking and memory can have a wide range of causes.A healthy lifestyle lowers the risk of cognitive impairment in later life.Cognitive impairment caused...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • Tiredness and fatigue

    Illnesses and drug side-effects can contribute to fatigue.People often report an increase in their energy levels after starting HIV treatment.A healthy balanced diet may help...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • Sleep

    Sleep is essential to physical and mental health.Anxiety, depression, drug or alcohol use, and illness can contribute to sleep problems.Simple lifestyle changes may be enough to...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • HIV, mental health & emotional wellbeing

    This booklet is an introduction to mental health for people with HIV. ...

    From: Booklets

    Information level Level 2

  • Mental health and emotional wellbeing

    Women with HIV often report experiencing feelings of isolation, depression, loss of sleep and anxiety on diagnosis. An HIV diagnosis is a life-changing event and these responses...

    From: Booklets

    Information level Level 2

  • Emotional wellbeing, mental health and your circumstances

    Emotional distress and mental health problems, such as depression, have been linked to people not taking HIV treatment properly. Particular events such as receiving an HIV diagnosis, bereavement,...

    From: Booklets

    Information level Level 2

Mental and emotional health problems features

Mental and emotional health problems news from aidsmap

More news

Mental and emotional health problems news selected from other sources

  • Study uncovers why bisexual Australians suffer poorer mental health

    The world’s largest study of bisexual people to date, led by La Trobe University in Melbourne, has examined why bisexual Australians experience higher rates of psychological distress than their heterosexual and homosexual peers.

    23 April 2019 | Q News

  • Effect of Depression, Lifestyle on Cognitive Function in PLWHIV

    Compared with patients without HIV, the poorer cognitive performances of PLWHIV were partly mediated by a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.

    26 March 2019 | Infectious Disease Advisor

  • Large French study examines neuropsychiatric side effects with integrase inhibitors

    The largest prospective study to date on integrase inhibitors and their potential for being associated with neuropsychiatric side effects was conducted in France. With more than 21,000 HIV-positive participants, the study found that the proportion of people who stopped taking integrase inhibitors due to neuropsychiatric side effects was generally very low (between 1% and 3%). Of particular note is the fact that before starting treatment with an integrase-inhibitor-containing regimen, between 3% and 10% of participants had previously reported neuropsychiatric side effects with other classes of HIV treatment.

    12 March 2019 | CATIE

  • For Women Living With HIV, A Trauma-Informed Approach To Care

    At a San Francisco primary care clinic, trauma is recognized as a root cause of many health challenges.

    05 February 2019 | Health Affairs

  • Preventing HIV Among Young, Black Teens With Mental Illness

    Each year, the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC) honors nurses at the forefront of HIV research. This year, University of Pennsylvania associate professor Bridgette Brawner, Ph.D., APRN, won the Richard L. Sowell Article of the Year Award for her research on heterosexually active black teens with mental illness -- a group that's under-represented in HIV prevention campaigns.

    29 November 2018 | The Body Pro

  • Stigma impairs cognition in men living with HIV

    A new study has drawn a direct link between the amount of stigma men with HIV report experiencing and their scores on cognitive tests, measuring abilities such as memory and attention.

    29 November 2018 | Eurekalert Inf Dis

  • Experts: Don't Overlook Mental Health in People Living With HIV

    HIV clinicians need to be aware that mental health affects every stage of HIV diagnosis and treatment, and manage issues just as they would any other comorbid condition, experts said here.

    01 November 2018 | Medpage Today

  • Psychosocial Factors Associated With Persistent Pain in HIV

    A meta-analysis and literature review, published in Pain, found moderate evidence supporting an association between pain outcomes in people with HIV and several psychosocial factors, such as depression, psychologic distress, post-traumatic stress, drug abuse, sleep disturbance, reduced antiretroviral therapy adherence, healthcare use, missed HIV clinic visits, unemployment, and protective psychologic factors.

    26 September 2018 | Infectious Disease Advisor

  • Patients With HIV Who Develop Depression Are Unlikely to Seek Treatment

    Pharmacy TimesPatients With HIV Who Develop Depression Are Unlikely to Seek TreatmentPharmacy TimesThe study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, examined the association between the length of time a patient remains depressed and care outcomes among 5927 HIV-positive adult patients. Participants took multiple depressive severity assessments that were ...

    10 August 2018 | Pharmacy Times

  • Feeling horny and sexy at Pride? We need to talk about chemsex too

    OPINION: This pride season we need to talk about the gay and bi men getting high and horny – they deserve our compassion. As renowned play The Chemsex Monologues comes to the all-new Above the Stag Theatre for the Pride in London 2018 festival, writer Patrick Cash reflects on how he first came across chemsex. The Chemsex Monologues follow four people with interconnecting stories on the high and horny scene.

    27 June 2018 | Gay Star News
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See also

Community Consensus Statement on Access to HIV Treatment and its Use for Prevention

Together, we can make it happen

We can end HIV soon if people have equal access to HIV drugs as treatment and as PrEP, and have free choice over whether to take them.

Launched today, the Community Consensus Statement is a basic set of principles aimed at making sure that happens.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap
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This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.

NAM’s information is intended to support, rather than replace, consultation with a healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team for advice tailored to your situation.