The quarterly biopsychosocial research update on HIV and mental health, mental health AIDS, is sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is disseminated free of charge through the SAMHSA Web site.

The Summer 2011 issue features an article titled, “Positively Golden: Advances in Aging with HIV (Part 1).”

It is estimated that by 2015 about half of the adults living with HIV/AIDS in the United States will be 50 years of age or older. Many HIV-infected older adults experience depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, HIV-related stigma, and a variety of comorbid health conditions; however, mental health interventions tailored specifically for this population are essentially nonexistent.

This is the first article in a two-part series. In this article, recent research findings on medical and neurocognitive concerns associated with HIV and aging are highlighted. A characterization of “successful cognitive aging” with HIV is presented, as are performance-based measures to identify functional impairment associated with aging and HIV. The article also discusses cognitive remediation strategies for use with older HIV-infected people who exhibit cognitive decline.

More information is available:

• mental health AIDS: Quarterly research update
• CMHS: Home page
• SAMHSA: Home page