The efficacy of antiretroviral treatment has drastically improved the prognosis of HIV-infected individuals regarding morbidity and mortality. This change in prognosis has also changed the perspectives of many patients infected with HIV. One of the newly mentioned aims of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study is to investigate whether and how quality of life (QoL) has been affected by treatment and changes of prognosis. Also, although this issue is highly important only very few studies investigated QoL-issues at the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva. We plan a study within the scope of the HIV-clinics in Basel and St. Gallen.
The aims of the study are:
1) to assess the quality of life in HIV-infected individuals, particularly anxiety and depression;
2) to assess instruments which are commonly used to investigate quality of life;
3) to assess wether certain impairments of life quality, particularly anxiety and depression are associated with specific patient and/or disease characteristics.
