HIV-related symptoms and psychological functioning in a cohort of homosexual men

Abstract

The authors administered the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale to 4,954 homosexual men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. HIV antibody status at enrollment was a less important predictor of psychological distress than were reported physical symptoms. Multivariate analysis showed an association between a high score on each CES-D Scale component and the number of self-reported possible AIDS- or HIV-related symptoms, perceived lymphadenopathy, and absence of "someone to talk to about serious problems." This relationship between self-reported physical symptoms and psychological distress suggests a possible etiologic relationship between perceived AIDS risk and psychological symptoms in men at risk of AIDS.