This site is intended for UK healthcare professionals
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
News

Mental health services failing people with HIV, says parliamentary report.

People with HIV are twice as likely to experience mental health difficulties compared with the general population, but mental health services in England are failing to meet their needs. So says a newly published report by the All Part Parliamentary Group (APPG) on HIV and AIDS.

Key findings show that:

  • Almost 40% of HIV clinics do not have access to a psychologist or mental health professional on their multidisciplinary team.
  • Many psychosocial support services previously offered to newly diagnosed individuals have been scrapped, leaving struggling patients depending on generic mental health services.
  • Benefit reviews are leading to mental health issues and suicides as assessors do not understand the mental health effects of HIV and stigma
  • Mental health support can improve adherence to HIV medication
  • People with chemsex addiction are falling through commissioning gaps as addiction services do not always treat chemsex drugs or associated mental health issues

The APPG is concerned that generic mental health services in their current form are ‘not fit for purpose’ for people with HIV who have specific issues around stigma.

“It is vital that specialist mental health services are provided through HIV clinics and unfortunately this is not the case,” said APPG Chair, Stephen Doughty MP. Specialist services are available in some regions but not others. He pointed to the threatened closure of London’s Mildmay Hospital, whose services include specialist psychiatric support, because of commissioning difficulties. The commissioning landscape for HIV and mental health in England is extremely complex, the report notes.

The report is freely available online.


References


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE