Association between Religiousness and Mental Health in Patients with HIV

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Sally Knevitz da
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Passos, Susane Müller Klug, Souza, Luciano Dias
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Psicologia (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Online)
• Texto Completo: http://editorarevistas.mackenzie.br/index.php/ptp/article/view/6553
• topic: anxiety; depression; mental health; HIV; religion; ansiedad; depresión; salud mental; VIH; religión; ansiedade; depressão; saúde mental; HIV; religião

This study aimed to assess the association between religiousness and indicatives of anxiety and depression among patients with HIV in a service of the south of Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study thatused a convenience sample of 617 HIV patients. They answered a structured interview which contained questions about religion and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The prevalence of the indicatives of depression and anxiety was, respectively, 34.4% and 47%. 76.3% of the respondents stated they were religious, while 54.4% practiced their religion during the previous month and 50.6% were religious. Having a religion was associated with: age, alcohol abuse/dependence, and indicative of depression. The religious practice was associated with: age, lipodystrophy and the indicative of anxiety. Being religious was associated with: age, lipodystrophy, tobacco, abuse/dependence and indicative of anxiety. It can be inferred that religiousness can be beneficial to mental health, particularly in patients with anxiety symptomatology.