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Early life trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder associated with HIV in men
Reisner SL. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2011;57:340-350.
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Researchers have found that early life violent family stressors increased the risk for HIV infection in men later in life, particularly among minorities and men who have sex with men, according to new findings published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
“Stressful life events in childhood during sensitive periods of development have long-term sequelae, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may affect risk for HIV infection across the life course,” Sari L. Reisner, MA, research analyst and co-investigator at The Fenway Institute, told Infectious Disease News.
Reisner and colleagues examined early life traumatic stressors and the possible association with risk for HIV infection in a nationally representative sample of 13,274 US men. Data were pooled from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions between 2004 and 2005.
The researchers assessed “the association of childhood violent events before the age of 18 on 1-year HIV infection incidence, and whether PTSD diagnosis mediated the association between early life events and HIV.”
Of the 0.35% of men who reported HIV diagnosis within the prior year, 44% of new infections were among ethnic minorities; and 31% were among MSM.
One or more of the following early life stressors were reported by 33.5% of participants: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, verbal violence or witnessed violence. Every additional early life violent event was associated with an increased risk for HIV (adjusted OR=1.32; 95% CI, 1.16-1.50).
Further, a statistically significant association was observed with HIV infection incidence (adjusted OR=5.75; 95% CI, 4.76-6.95); PTSD partially mediated the relationship between early life events and HIV (adjusted OR=1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.28).
“Clinical interventions are needed that address the long-term effects of childhood and adolescent violent events, including PTSD and risk for HIV infection,” Reisner said. “Many validated interventions have been shown to be effective for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, including cognitive behavioral therapy for traumatized children/adolescents and adults. Incorporating HIV prevention into these evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments or adapting these validated treatments as part of HIV prevention interventions may be of clinical utility. Mental health concerns not only contribute to HIV risk but also likely interfere with the uptake of HIV behavioral interventions for men, and for MSM in particular.”– by Ashley DeNyse
Disclosure: Reisner reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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