Common mental disorders and psychological adjustment among individuals seeking HIV testing : a study protocol to explore implications for mental health care systems
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: 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.
Methods: 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.
Discussion: 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.
Description
CITATION: Bantjes, J. & Kagee, A. 2018. Common mental disorders and psychological adjustment among individuals seeking HIV testing : a study protocol to explore implications for mental health care systems. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 12:16, doi:10.1186/s13033-018-0196-0.
The original publication is available at https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
HIV -- Diagnosis, Mental health services, Protocols in medicine
Citation
Bantjes, J. & Kagee, A. 2018. Common mental disorders and psychological adjustment among individuals seeking HIV testing : a study protocol to explore implications for mental health care systems. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 12:16, doi:10.1186/s13033-018-0196-0