The relationship between substance abuse, health status and health behaviours of patients attending HIV clinics
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: HIV infection, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders are major public health issues in South Africa.Psychiatric disorders and substance-use disorders together have a negative impact on the health outcomes of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), such as poor adherence to anti-retrovirals (ARVs), HIV disease progression, lower CD4 counts, vulnerability to opportunistic infections, high viral loads, possible drug resistance, and an earlier onset of death.The overall aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between substance abuse practices and the health status and health behaviour of patients attending HIV clinics in the Cape Metropole.The study used a cross-sectional study design for collecting data on hazardous or harmful use of alcohol and problematic drug use, demographic information and health status among patients attending eight HIV clinics in the Cape Metropole.A sub-sample of patients were assessed on the following domains: depression, psychological distress, psychopathology, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), risky sexual behaviour, adherence to ARVs, levels of resilience, levels of social support and patient's work, family and social functioning.Of the 608, 10% of consecutively selected patients completed an additional psychiatric diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview).The main findings to emerge from this study are:1. Patients reporting hazardous or harmful use of alcohol and/or drug use are significantly more likely to be non-adherent to ARVs and have lower CD4 counts than their non-substance abusing counterparts
Author: Rehana Kader
Language: English
Topic: HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W147661920