A controlled study of anxiety and morbid cognitions at initial screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in a cohort of people with haemophilia

Abstract

Aim. This study examines the relationship between anxiety, psychological state and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stages as defined by the Centers for Disease Control at the time of initial screening for HIV in a cohort of people with haemophilia who were at risk of prior exposure to HIV transmission from blood products. Method. Psychological scores, immunological measures, and clinical data from case notes for 116 potentially HIV exposed people with haemophilia attending initial screening for HIV infection in 1984–1985, were used to examine the relationship between psychological variables, clinical state and their clinical classification under the Centres for Disease Control categorization. Psychometric test results were obtained for 63 HIV seronegative patients and 53 HIV seropositive patients. Planned comparisons, multiple and logistic regressions, were used to explain observed differences between seronegative and seropositive subjects. The potential confounders of sex, age, severity of haemophilia, haemophilia type and blood product usage were controlled. Results. The major finding of this study was that higher levels of State Anxiety at the time of initial screening for HIV, were observed in those patients who lacked recognized symptoms of HIV infection and were seropositive, compared with seronegative subjects. The State Anxiety scores were predicted by HIV infection or alternatively CD4 + T-cell levels. Conclusion. The findings of this study suggest that HIV infection can produce psychological effects prior to any physical symptoms of infection being apparent.