Booklet
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.