The mood disorders and suicidal thoughts and their impact on the quality of life among people living with HIV treated in Białystok, Poland: a cross-sectional study

Introduction and objective: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of mood disorders symptoms and suicidal thoughts among HIV patients treated in Białystok and their impact on quality of life. Materials and methods: A total of 147 participants, including 104 men (70.7%) and 43 women (29.3%), took part in the research. The study used a diagnostic survey method with a modified questionnaire “Psychosocial situation of people living with HIV/AIDS in Poland” by Dr Magdalena Ankiersztejn-Bartczak and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Suicidal thoughts and attempts were reported by 20% and 7% of respondents, respectively. Fear of living with HIV and fear of loneliness were the predominant reasons for suicidal thoughts (38.7% in total). Two-thirds of respondents had no depressive symptoms, while one-fourth of respondents presented with at most moderate depressive symptoms. There were significant differences in the level of health problems depending on marital status. Those who had suicidal thoughts after receiving HIV diagnosis had a lower quality of life. Conclusions: One-third of the respondents reported symptoms of mood disorders, most of which were of moderate intensity, and one-fourth of the respondents had suicidal thoughts and attempts. The quality of life of HIV patients was mainly determined by their general physical and mental health and social support. A higher quality of life was presented by those with better general health status who received social support. Only marital status determinated the prevalence of symptoms of mood disorders in the study group.