Assessment and treatment of psychosis in people living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

The pathophysiology of psychosis and other forms of severe mental illness in HIV infection is complex, and multifactorial causation is likely in most instances. Severe mental illness has been identified as a risk factor for the acquisition of HIV infection and occurs as both a manifestation of opportunistic infections and a result of the neurotropic effects of the virus. A full psychiatric assessment in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) presenting with psychosis is important but may prove difficult in many parts of South Africa. This paper presents a variety of algorithms to simplify the assessment and management of an HIV-infected patient with psychosis.