Nwaopara Uche*

Background: The association of HIV and psychosis has been established but there had been few research interests on the characteristics of HIV among a vagrant psychotic population during especially in resource-poor settings.
Aim: To determine the Prevalence rates, Treatment Availability and Outcomes of HIV among a vagrant sample population.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental and cross sectional descriptive study, samples were collected from 101 homeless mentally ill patients who were evacuated from 3 major towns of Eket, Ikot Epene and Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State, by the Ministry of Women affairs and Social Rehabilitation, for Intervention over a 3-month period (October-Dec, 2017). A Rapid HIV Testing was used and the sequential (serial) rapid testing algorithm widely used in Nigeria was employed. HIV screening was performed using the rapid test Determine HIV-1/2 Assay kit was used for screening. If the test was positive, a second test, Uni-Gold test Kit was used as a confirmatory test. If both were positive, the participant was confirmed HIV infected. If the test result was negative, the participant was diagnosed HIV negative. HIV-1/2 STAT Pack Dipstick assay was used as a tie breaker.
Results: showed that out of the 101 patients reviewed, there was a preponderance of males with frequency of 62.4%. The minimum and maximum ages of those considered were 8 years and 44 years respectively, with the most predominant age range being 26-30 years and 31 (30.7%) patients and 59 (58.4%) % were below 30 years. Ninety participants (89.1%) were unemployed, 88 (87.1%) were from the Ibibio/Annang tribe and 68 (67.3%) had primary level of education. Out of the 16 (15.8%) subjects that were confirmed to be HIV positive, 4(4%) were males, 12 were females and this was statistically significant (X2 = 11.3, p = 0.001) while 12 (11.8%) were in the age group 21-30. Futile attempts were made to initiate treatment for the retropositive subjects, as the General hospital, adjacent to the hospital refused to review or commence HAART treatment. All the Five (5.0%) that died during the study were HIV positive (X2 = 24.2, p = 0.000). 80 (79.2%) were discharged and reintegrated with their relatives, 8 (7.9%) absconded, 3 (3.0%) were taken to home for the children, while 5 (5.0%) patients abandoned. Logistic regression identified sex as the predictor variable to HIV status (p = 0.003, OR = 9.12 95% CI = 2.13-38.8).
Conclusion: The co-occurrence of HIV and serious mental illness means that integration of HIV prevention, testing and care in mental health care services, confers both individual and public health benefits. However, inability of HIV Infected vagrants to access Anti-retroviral treatment care, affects negatively the outcome of Retroviral Disease increasing mortality.
Keywords: HIV; Vagrant, Psychotic; Rapid diagnostic tests; Treatment availability; Outcome

Cite this Article: Uche N. HIV Prevalence, Treatment Availability and Outcomes among a Vagrant Psychotic Population. Sci J Neurol Neurosurg. 2019;5(1): 001-005.

Published: 07 January 2019