Subjective Memory Complaints of HIV/AIDS Patients in Iran: Relationships with Mood, Social Support, Medical Symptoms and Substance Abuse.

INTRODUCTION Several studies suggested that subjective memory complaints in HIV-infected patients are influenced by factors the same as mood, social support and medical symptoms. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between depression, anxiety, social support and substance abuse with memory complaints in HIV/AIDS patients. METHOD To accomplish this goal, in a correlation study, 220 Iranian adults (146 males and 74 females) selected from the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Center in Shiraz in 2012, completed these measures: Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), The Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory (PAOFI), Quality of Relationship Inventory (QRI) and Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Analyses were performed using the SPSS-16. RESULTS Results showed that better performance of memory, was associated with being female, higher levels of education and lower years of substance abuse. Also, multiple regression analysis revealed that anxiety, substance abuse and depression can explain 43 percent of subjective memory complaint. Anxiety had the most contribution in predicting complaints and after that, substance abuse was more important. Objective memory performance had a significant correlation with complaints but was not a significant predictor of subjective memory complaints. There was no relationship between subjective complaints and social support. CONCLUSION According to results, it seems that in treatment plans for these patients, focusing on emotional problems, to improving subjective complaints, is necessary.