Mental Health in Children, Adolescents, and Youths Living with Perinatally Acquired HIV: At the Crossroads of Psychosocial Determinants of Health.
Álvaro Vázquez-PérezCarlos VeloLuis EscosaTeresa García-LopezJose Ignacio BernardinoEulalia ValenciaRafael MicanMaría José MelladoTalía SainzPublished in: Children (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
Here, we aim to describe mental health (MH) in a cohort of children, adolescents, and young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) in Spain and explore the treatment gap for mental disorders. We also aim to analyze the potential association between MH issues to psychosocial risk factors (PSRFs) and identify management priorities. We conducted a descriptive transversal study that included all cases of PHIV under follow-up in a reference hospital in Madrid. The study included patients undergoing follow-up in the pediatric outpatient clinic and youths transferred from pediatric to adult care units after 1997. Epidemiological, clinical, immunovirological, and treatment-related data were collected, including PSRF and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Of the 72 patients undergoing follow-up, 43 (59.7%) had already been transferred to the adult outpatient clinic. The patients' median age was 25 years (IQR 18-29), and 54.2% were women. Most patients were undergoing treatment (94.6%) and were virologically suppressed (84.7%). Although MH issues were present in 30 patients (41.7%), only 17 (56.7%) had been referred for evaluation to the Department of Mental Health, and only 9 (30%) had received a MH diagnosis. PSRFs were common (32% of participants had at least one PSRF) and were associated with MH issues and adherence issues (all p < 0.05). A multidisciplinary approach to address the psychological factors and social determinants of health is urgently needed, particularly during important life development stages, such as adolescence.
Keyphrases
- mental health
- end stage renal disease
- hiv infected
- patients undergoing
- healthcare
- antiretroviral therapy
- ejection fraction
- young adults
- newly diagnosed
- risk factors
- chronic kidney disease
- primary care
- public health
- peritoneal dialysis
- emergency department
- prognostic factors
- type diabetes
- human immunodeficiency virus
- hiv aids
- depressive symptoms
- machine learning
- mental illness
- physical activity
- pregnant women
- palliative care
- adipose tissue
- patient reported outcomes
- risk assessment
- deep learning
- health information
- pain management
- south africa
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- insulin resistance
- human health