HIV and Disability Law

From aidsmeds.com

People with depression were almost twice as likely to have HIV treatment adherence problems as people who were not depressed, according to an article in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

Depression has been found in several studies to negatively affect the ability of people living with HIV to take their medications on time and as directed. Not all studies have been able to quantify the effect of depression on adherence, however.

As part of a study on nutrition and HIV, Deborah Kacanek, ScD, from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, asked 225 HIV-positive volunteers about their adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) medication and evaluated them for depression.

None of the participants were found to have depression upon entering the study. Over time, however, 22 percent
developed depression.

In terms of adherence, 45 percent of those who became depressed ended up having poor adherence compared with 25 percent of those who did not become depressed. As has been seen in previous studies, African Americans were also more likely than non-black participants to have adherence challenges.

The authors call on providers to regularly screen for depression, especially in people who are having trouble adhering to their HIV treatment regimen. Moreover, the authors write, “It is critical to strengthen referral systems to ensure appropriate treatment… for patients with HIV and depression, not only because it may improve adherence and HAART outcomes, but also because of its potential impact on quality of life overall.”