Screening of Mental Disorders Related CD4 Count of People Living with HIV/AIDS with Anti-Retroviral Treatment in Medan, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are the most common problems in the life of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The frequency in which HIV/AIDS and mental health problems co-exist, and the complex bi-directional relationship between them. Several biological, distress psychological and social dysfunction factors are associated with mental disorders in PLWHA. AIM: To analyse the relationship between the screening of mental disorders using General Health Questionnaire-12 scores and CD4 counts of People Living with HIV/AIDS with Anti-Retroviral Treatment. METHODS: This was a correlative analytical study with a cross-sectional approach using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) instrument to assess screening mental disorders and the CD4 count. This research was conducted in February 2019 – April 2019 at an HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic. As many 33 subjects were divided into inclusion criteria; participant confirmed HIV seropositivity in stage II or III were undergoing ARV treatment, ranged in age between 25-49 years. The duration of HIV disease was ≤ four years, and the duration of ARV treatment was ≥ six months and informed consent to participate in the study. The patient who had mental disorders and currently drugs user was excluded from this study. RESULTS: There was an association found between change in CD4 and screening mental disorders at univariate analysis among the study participants, whether on antiretroviral treatment. The correlation between the total GHQ-12 scores as a screening of mental disorders and CD4 counts indicated to result in a significant negative correlation, r = -0.670 with p = 0.001. CONCLUSION: Screening mental disorders using General Health Questionnaire-12 from the results of this study shows that it is important to do for PLWHA because with low CD4 levels as biomarkers the progression of HIV infection affects psychological distress and social dysfunction in people living with HIV who have the potential for symptoms of mental disorders.