June 19, 2000
Release No. 00-32
American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
Richard Ottinger
202-682-6119
[email protected]
Fax: 202-682-6255
Older Persons with HIV/AIDS Face Depression, Suicide
Washington, DC -- A new study published in the July issue of Psychiatric Services found that older persons with HIV/AIDS are more likely to experience depression and have thoughts of suicide than younger persons living with the disease.
The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, found many persons 45 years and above living with HIV/AIDS who have suicidal thoughts have reached out and told family and friends of their illness, but they receive less social and emotional support in part because of continued stigma associated with the disease.
"HIV/AIDS is primarily a disease of the young and this has led the public to forget about this neglected population," said researcher Seth C. Kalichman of the Medical College of Wisconsin. "Because of advances in medications and new treatments, persons with HIV/AIDS are living longer, but their social networks have been devastated by the loss of many friends to the AIDS epidemic years ago."
Past research has shown that older adults living with HIV/AIDS have many comorbid conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and changes in memory. "As symptoms begin to manifest, distress and thoughts of suicide increase," said Timothy Heckman, the principal investigator of the study. "Add to this the more rapid deterioration of social and professional relations, and the occurrence of distress is almost inevitable."
"In the HIV community no one cares about aging, and in the aging community no one cares about HIV," Heckman added. "It's those attitudes that lead to isolation that can ultimately lead to depression and thoughts of suicide."
[Depression and Thoughts of Suicide Among Middle-Aged and Older Persons Living With HIV/AIDS," by Seth C. Kalichman and Timothy Heckman, et. al.]
Also in the July issue of Psychiatric Services:
Voting Rights for Persons with Mental Illnesses
As of 1997, a total of 44 states barred voting by some subgroups of persons with mental illness or mental retardation. In a special column, author Paul S. Appelbaum, M.D., acknowledges it is no easy task drawing a line between those who are and those who are not capable of voting, but emphasizes persons with mental disabilities have strong interests in overcoming the obstacles of voting. The act of voting can be therapeutic and normalizing and inclusive to community participation, while persons with mental disabilities and their families can increase their political clout and affect changes in mental health services. Dr. Appelbaum, a vice president of the APA, is chair of the department of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
["'I Vote. I Count': Mental Disability and The Right to Vote," by Paul S. Appelbaum, M.D.]
These articles are available on the American Psychiatric Association's web site's Newsstand section at www.psych.org.
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society, founded in 1844, whose 40,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
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