Suicide probability and psychological morbidity secondary to HIV infection: a control study of HIV-seropositive, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-seropositive and HIV/HCV-seronegative injecting drug users

Abstract Background : Suicide ideation and psychological morbidity among HIV-positive patients has been the object of intense research. No study has investigated this area among injecting drug users (IDUs) infected with HIV and those infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which has the same patterns of transmission of the HIV and may favour HIV replication and, possibly, HIV disease progression. Methods: In order to examine the prevalence and characteristics of suicide ideation and psychological morbidity associated with HIV and HCV infection in IDUs, a sample of HIV+ ( n =81), HIV−/HCV+ ( n =62) and HIV−/HCV− ( n =152) subjects completed the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: No difference was found between the groups as far as the mean scores on SPS and the risk of suicide (no-low risk category: 70.7% HIV+, 56.09% HCV+, 65.6% HIV−/HCV−). Estimated psychological morbidity (BSI) (26.9% HIV+, 27.1% HCV+, 25.4% of HIV−/HCV−) and BSI and HADS scores were comparable across the groups. Conclusions: Suicide ideation, psychological morbidity and anxiety and depression symptoms seemed not to be directly influenced by HIV-serostatus. Careful assessment of psychological symptoms and suicide ideas among IDUs, as a vulnerable segment of population at risk of HIV and HCV infections, needs to be routinely carried out in clinical settings.