It is the first known study during the period of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to link psychological factors with faster mortality in the disease.
The research team interviewed a group of 490 patients with HIV in the rural southeast. Those who experienced more traumas had faster death from HIV-related causes and from AIDS.
More than half had experienced three or more traumas during their lifetime and half had suffered physical or sexual abuse.
Eureka Alert reports Jane Leserman, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and medicine and lead author of the study saying: "Trauma and depression are common among people with HIV, and [both] seem to have an effect on disease progression and mortality in HIV."
"Given that, it is critical that clinicians treating people infected with HIV recognize depression and trauma as risk factors for poor health outcomes, and thus screen and refer patients for psychological and psychiatric treatment when these problems are present."
The study also established a time ordering of events. According to Leserman, trauma occurring two or more years before the study continued to have a major impact on the patients.
She next wants to carry out research to see whether treating HIV patients for trauma has any positive outcome on their health.
The findings are published in the November edition of the American journal of Psychiatry.
