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Key points

  • People with HIV are at some risk of experiencing a range of emotional and mental health problems, including distress, unhappiness, anxiety and depression.
  • There are things you can do to look after your emotional and mental health, but help is also available.
  • Treatment and support services are available if you suffer from mental health problems.
  • Some anti-HIV drugs can have side effects which include mood changes. These may be temporary and can be dealt with.

This booklet provides information on emotional wellbeing and mental health for people living with HIV. 

Emotional difficulties and problems with mental health can affect anybody (research suggests one in every six people in the UK has some sort of mental health problem), but living with a long-term illness like HIV can mean that you are more likely to experience mental health problems.

There are things you can do to look after your emotional health, and help is available if you experience problems that you are not able to solve by yourself. Treatment for depression, anxiety and many other mental health problems can be very effective.

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HIV, mental health & emotional wellbeing
Roger Pebody

Roger Pebody

Commissioning Editor

Roger joined aidsmap in 2008 and was Managing Editor from 2018 to 2024. As a freelancer, he now edits aidsmap’s news and conference coverage, as well as working on updates to About HIV pages. He is also a contributing science editor for TheBodyPro, a freelance journalist for The Lancet HIV, and a medical writer helping researchers prepare articles for peer-reviewed journals. He began working on HIV at Gay Men Fighting AIDS in the mid-1990s.

Basic information

Eight ways to look after your health

Eight ways to look after your health

A healthy weight

A healthy weight

HIV, mental health and emotional wellbeing

Mareike Günsche | www.aspect-us.com

Healthy eating for people living with HIV

Mareike Günsche | www.aspect-us.com

Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements

Mareike Günsche | www.aspect-us.com

Food requirements for anti-HIV medications

People sit outside at a table with a close up of a hand with pills in it.

Food and water safety for people living with HIV

Image: Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Exercise and HIV

Image: Domizia Salusest | www.domiziasalusest.com

Fatigue and HIV

Mareike Günsche | www.aspect-us.com

Sleep and HIV

A woman sleeps in bed.

Alcohol and HIV

Empty bottles of alcohol together outside.

Smoking and HIV

A woman lights a cigarette.

What vaccinations are recommended for people with HIV?

Image: Adam Gregor/Shutterstock.com

Unintentional weight loss and HIV

Image: Pixabay

How to lose weight if you have HIV

Image: Monthira/Shutterstock.com

Weight gain and HIV treatment

Shutterstock Studios HIV in View gallery