Little systematic research has been conducted on the extent of psychiatric disorders among South African patients in general, and among patients living with HIV in particular. The present study reports on a survey conducted among 85 patients receiving treatment at three HIV clinics in the Western Cape. Participants completed the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), two self-report instruments designed to measure mood disturbance. The mean score of the sample on the HSCL was 47.54, which was significantly different from the commonly used cut-point of 44 for clinically significant distress; 52.9% of the sample scored in the elevated range on this measure. On the BDI, 37.6% of the sample fell in or above the moderate range for depression. The results suggest that a considerable proportion of the sample may be experiencing psychiatric difficulty, for which they may not be receiving treatment.

This cross-sectional study sought to determine the percentage of individuals who met criteria for lifetime PTSD and HIV-related PTSD among 85 recently diagnosed HIV-positive patients attending public health clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa. The PTSD module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to determine the percentage of those who met criteria for lifetime PTSD and HIV-related PTSD. The rate of lifetime PTSD and incidence of HIV-related PTSD was 54.1% (95% CI: 43.6-64.3%) and 40% (95% CI: 30.2-50.6%), respectively. Findings suggest that receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis and/or being HIV-positive may be considered a stressor that frequently results in HIV-related PTSD. Given the various barriers to efficient mental health interventions and services in South Africa, there are significant challenges that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the mental health of HIV-positive individuals is appropriately addressed.

The significant association between relative LTL and PTSD suggests that shorter relative LTL might have acted as a predisposing factor in the development of PTSD after a severely traumatic event. The results of this study indicate that telomere shortening may be an important marker of PTSD risk, with implications for early intervention and timely treatment, and as such warrant replication in a larger cohort.

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HighlightsChild abuse linked to drug problems in South African school attending adolescents.Drug use coping motives mediated this relationship.Prevention programs should target drug use coping motives.