Campaign aims to address mental suffering of HIV patients
The latest statistics from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that there were 5,968 cases of HIV reported in Ireland at the end of December 2010, with 331 newly diagnosed in 2010. Of the new cases, 123 were heterosexually transmitted, and 22 were among injecting drug users.
The figures emerged as a national campaign to address the issue, Open Your Mind, was initiated by patients who use services at Open Heart House, a support service in Dublin, and the Sexual Health Centre in Cork.
Head of the Sexual Health Centre Cork Deirdre Seery said the stigma attached to HIV is “huge” and prevents people from accessing support services.
Such is the stigma, she said, that people tell no one, become isolated and are even afraid to come to the health centre for fear of being “found out”.
“People are so afraid to tell anyone and that makes them more ill. The stress attached to keeping a secret means their medical outcomes are not as good.
“They do not even want to form new friendships or relationships but we can give people the confidence to do that and to make the decision who to tell about their illness.
“Once people access our services, we know from client feedback that their mental health really improves. And if people do not want to come here to meet us, we can go out and meet them somewhere else.”
In an attempt to address the issue, the Open Heart House in Dublin has been given funding to employ a suicide prevention officer.
Paula Gilmore, head of Open Heart House, said people living with HIV need to know they are not alone and that they can go on to live happy and healthy lives.
“HIV is a difficult disease to come to terms with when a person is first diagnosed,” he said.
“Understandably, people are shocked and often worried about the consequences of the illness on their health and well-being.
“The campaign aims to lift the weight off people’s shoulders and inform them that there are treatments and support groups available and if they are feeling depressed to speak to someone.”
Dr Jack Lambert, infectious disease consultant at the Mater Hospital, said that while medication has drastically improved the lives of people living with HIV, depression remains a real problem.
Dr Lambert said a relationship exists between HIV and mental health issues, and can have huge impact on patients, not only emotionally but also physically, through non-adherence to HIV medications.
He said it is important that the physician treating a HIV positive patient addresses any mental health concerns a patient may have and refer them to the appropriate specialist.
- RACHEL will never forget that day when “the earth stood still”.
In her 20s, she was working for a large internet company and had just put a deposit down to buy her first house. She was single and happy.
Rachel had never been tested for a sexually transmitted infection as she had always been careful — either asking her partners their history or else using condoms.
Undergoing a smear test, she was called to into a counselling room where she was told by a nurse “you’re HIV positive”.
“The day you are diagnosed with HIV is the day your life changes forever,” she said.
“The room started to spin and a nurse arranged for my sister to pick me up. That day I had to break people’s hearts,” she says of the day she told her mother, brother and sister.
She later learnt she had contracted the illness from a long-term boyfriend when she was just 20.
Rachel began seeing a counsellor and took complimentary therapies at Open Heart House to remain positive. Just seeing other people calmed her down, she says.
Now 32, she is getting on with life. She has a boyfriend who is HIV negative and she calls into Open Heart whenever she is feeling down, or just needs a smiling friendly face.
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