Effect of Mental Health Care Visits on HIV Care Outcomes.

Abstract

To improve the quality of life for people living with HIV (PLWH), it is vital their treatment plans closely follow the HIV care continuum. However, many barriers, such as mental health disorders (MHD), can complicate treatment. Patients being treated for HIV with comorbid MHD are more likely to not be retained in care and maintain an unsuppressed viral load. As PLWH and people vulnerable to acquiring HIV are more commonly diagnosed with MHD in comparison to the general population, it is important that steps to mitigate the possible effects of MHD are addressed during treatment. This study examines how minimal mental health care in a safety-net hospital system in the U.S. South can show benefits in retaining patients throughout their treatment of HIV. The results showed that older individuals retained a higher level of viral suppression when they followed up regularly with a mental health care provider during treatment. In addition, regardless of age, the higher the number of mental health care visits a patient attended during treatment, the higher the likelihood of viral suppression. By incorporating mental health care into the HIV treatment plan, the patients who met at least one of these criteria had better treatment outcomes and progressed further along the HIV care continuum.