Bantjes Jason, Kagee Ashraf
Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602 South Africa.
Int J Ment Health Syst. 2018 Apr 10;12:16. doi: 10.1186/s13033-018-0196-0. eCollection 2018.
In an effort to promote greater access to voluntary counseling and testing for HIV, it has become practice in many countries, including South Africa, to establish non-medical testing sites and to de-couple HIV testing from other medical and mental health care services. While it is well established that HIV infection is associated with a range of psychopathology, much of the literature has assumed that it is receipt of an HIV positive diagnosis that causes people to become depressed, traumatized, or develop other psychiatric symptoms. Empirical data about the baseline psychiatric condition and mental health care needs of persons seeking HIV testing is scarce. Understanding the psychological health of persons seeking HIV testing and documenting how psychiatric symptoms develop over time following receipt of an HIV positive diagnosis, has important implications for mental health care systems.
We describe a study protocol to investigate: (1) the level of psychological distress and the prevalence of common mental disorders among persons seeking HIV testing; (2) the longitudinal development of psychiatric symptoms among persons diagnosed with HIV; and (3) the recommendations that can be made for mental health care systems to support persons seeking HIV testing and those newly diagnosed with HIV. In this longitudinal study quantitative and qualitative data are collected to document participants' psychiatric symptoms, to determine whether they meet diagnostic criteria for a common mental disorder, and to explore the lived experiences of persons receiving an HIV positive test result. Data are collected at three time points; before HIV testing, and then again at 6 and 12 months post-testing.
Documenting the prevalence of common mental disorders among persons seeking HIV testing, and tracking the psychosocial support needs, psychological adjustment and psychosocial experiences of persons newly diagnosed with HIV, has important implications for the delivery of mental health care services and the design of integrated mental health care systems.
为了促进更多人能够获得自愿的艾滋病病毒咨询与检测服务，包括南非在内的许多国家都采取了在非医疗场所进行检测的做法，并将艾滋病病毒检测与其他医疗和心理健康服务分离开来。虽然艾滋病病毒感染与一系列精神病理学问题相关这一点已得到充分证实，但许多文献都假定是艾滋病病毒检测呈阳性的诊断结果导致人们出现抑郁、创伤后应激障碍或其他精神症状。关于寻求艾滋病病毒检测者的基线精神状况和心理健康护理需求的实证数据却很匮乏。了解寻求艾滋病病毒检测者的心理健康状况，并记录艾滋病病毒检测呈阳性诊断结果后精神症状随时间的发展情况，对心理健康护理系统具有重要意义。
我们描述了一项研究方案，旨在调查：（1）寻求艾滋病病毒检测者的心理困扰程度和常见精神障碍的患病率；（2）被诊断为艾滋病病毒感染者的精神症状的纵向发展情况；（3）可为心理健康护理系统提供的建议，以支持寻求艾滋病病毒检测者和新诊断出感染艾滋病病毒的人。在这项纵向研究中，收集定量和定性数据，以记录参与者的精神症状，确定他们是否符合常见精神障碍的诊断标准，并探索艾滋病病毒检测呈阳性者的实际生活经历。在三个时间点收集数据，即艾滋病病毒检测前，以及检测后6个月和12个月。
记录寻求艾滋病病毒检测者中常见精神障碍的患病率，并跟踪新诊断出感染艾滋病病毒者的心理社会支持需求、心理调适和心理社会经历，对心理健康护理服务的提供和综合心理健康护理系统的设计具有重要意义。
