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Substance Use Disorders in Gay/Bisexual Men With HIV and AIDS
Author(s) -
Ferrando Stephen,
Goggin Kathy,
Sewell Margaret,
Evans Susan,
Fishman Baruch,
Rabkin Judith
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.1998.tb00467.x
Subject(s) - substance abuse , anxiety , medicine , depression (economics) , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychiatry , distress , substance use , quality of life (healthcare) , cohort , clinical psychology , psychology , immunology , economics , macroeconomics , nursing
The authors conducted a longitudinal study of psychological adaptation to AIDS in subjects with and without lifetime and current substance use disorders (SUD), in a cohort of HIV+ gay/bisexual subjects. A sample of HIV+ gay/bisexual men (n = 183) and an HIV‐ comparison group (n = 84) were assessed for SUD, depression, and anxiety disorders. Among HIV+ men, combined lifetime (42%) but not current (11.5%) SUDs were more prevalent than in HIV‐ men (27% and 10%, respectively). HIV+ men with current SUD reported more depression, distress, and diminished quality of life than HIV+ men with no SUD, but HIV‐illness severity did not differ. HIV+ men in recovery did not differ from men with no lifetime history. Most HIV+ gay/bisexual men with SUD discontinue or reduce substance use before or subsequent to knowledge of their HIV infection, probably in an attempt to adopt a healthier lifestyle. However, for some HIV+ men, persistent substance abuse/dependence is accompanied by higher levels of distress and diminished quality of life, underscoring their need for treatment intervention.