Relationship between social support and psychological symptoms in people living with HIV/AIDS, at risk of developing HIV – associated dementia

People living with HIV/AIDS often present neuropsychiatric symptoms, including cognitive and mood-related manifestations. Social support helps to cope with adverse events related to mental health. We aimed to analyze the relationship between satisfaction with social support and psychological symptoms in people living with HIV/AIDS at risk of developing HIV-associated dementia. An observational, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted. Assessment instruments included: sociodemographic questionnaire; Social Support Scale for People Living with HIV [Seidl & Tróccoli, 2006. Development of a scale for the social support evaluation in HIV/AIDS. <i>Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa</i>, <i>22</i>(3), 317-326.], Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) [Canavarro, 1999. Psychopathological Symptom Inventory - BSI. In M. G. M. R. Simões, & L. S. Almeida (Eds.), <i>Psychological tests and tests in Portugal</i> (Vol. II, pp. 87-109). SHO/APPORT.]; and International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS). The sample consisted of 255 participants with a mean age of 48.16 years, 80.8% male, 68.6% living mostly with someone else. The strongest correlation was between the perception of availability of emotional support and availability of instrumental support, r (255) = 0.992; <i>p</i> < 0.001. Individuals with higher satisfaction with perceived emotional support had fewer psychological symptoms. Those with a higher Global Severity Index score on the BSI had a higher risk of dementia. An association was found between symptoms of psychological distress and a higher likelihood of developing HIV-related dementia. To reduce the risk of HIV-associated dementia, it is imperative to improve social support networks, which can serve as a vital clinical strategy.