Qualidade de vida e frequência de distúrbios psicossociais em pessoas vivendo com HTLV-1

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that primarily affects lymphocytes and can cause various inflammatory diseases, such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy and even adult-cell leukemia/lymphoma. In Brazil, it is estimated that there are approximately 800,000 infected individuals. Despite this, the technology remains outdated in the country. Given the stigma associated with the disease, the lack of knowledge about the virus, the absence of a cure, and the debilitating comorbidities, it becomes essential to evaluate the impact of HTLV-1 on the quality of life and mental health of infected individuals. OBJECTIVES: To identify the presence of psychosocial disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, and to analyze the quality of life in people with HTLV-1. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with people living with HTLV 1 at a reference unit for infectious and parasitic diseases in Northeast Brazil, selected by convenience/accessibility, from November 2024 to May 2025. Three instruments were used for data collection: a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the WHOQOL-Bref and the DASS-21. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and process the collected data. RESULTS: From the collected data, it was found that the majority of participants were female and the most frequent transmission route was sexual; 19 interviewees (47.5%) presented some degree of depression, the frequency of anxiety among participants was 70%, and stress was identified in 57.5% of patients. Regarding quality of life, the total score was 3.26 (regular). No facet of the instrument was classified as "very good". On a scale ranging from 0-100, the Psychological domain obtained the best result among those evaluated (64.38). Meanwhile, the Physical domain presented the lowest average (47.14), being evaluated as negative. CONCLUSION: It was found that people living with HTLV-1 presented depression, anxiety, and stress to some degree, and a low quality of life, mainly in physical aspects.