Dike Chidi Clement
IMO Polytechnic Umuagwo Medical Centre, Nigeria
Title: Depression in HIV Infected Patients
Biography
Biography: Dike Chidi Clement
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus is the causal agent of the dreaded disease AIDS with hundreds of thousands of new cases per year. Infected individuals are faced with a myriad of challenges in a world that is hostile and unsupportive. Amongst the many problem faced by PLWHA is depression. Depression a psychiatric disorder associated low self esteem and a feeling dejection. We found that depression is more common in females with HIV than males. When compared for prevalence, is higher in white females (56%) than black females (34%) have recently emerged as a significant factor in management and prognosis of HIV. In the medical management of HIV more emphasis is placed on the highly active antiretroviral therapy while bypassing other treatment modalities which might have synergistic effects. This unfortunate scenario is so because there are few established guidelines for identifying and treatment of depression in PLWHA. However further studies would go a long way to improve understand other implicated variable.