The authors administered the Center for Epidemiological Studies
Depression (CES-D) Scale to 4,954 homosexual men in the Multicenter AIDS
Cohort Study. HIV antibody status at enrollment was a less important
predictor of psychological distress than were reported physical symptoms.
Multivariate analysis showed an association between a high score on each
CES-D Scale component and the number of self- reported possible AIDS- or
HIV-related symptoms, perceived lymphadenopathy, and absence of "someone to
talk to about serious problems." This relationship between self-reported
physical symptoms and psychological distress suggests a possible etiologic
relationship between perceived AIDS risk and psychological symptoms in men
at risk of AIDS.
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