The COVID-19 Pandemic and HIV Patients: Strategies for Promoting Mental Health in Health Crises

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most challenging health crises of the current century, while affecting the physical health of the global population, brought extensive psychosocial consequences which were significantly more pronounced in vulnerable groups such as people living with HIV (PLWH). This policy brief was developed based on a cross-sectional study titled "Analysis of Mental Health Status and COVID-19 Related Fear among People Living with HIV" to provide practical solutions for supporting this group during crisis conditions. Based on these findings and expert perspectives, five policy options were presented: "establishing a regular mental health screening program in psychological counseling centers," "designing a remote service delivery system for counseling and treatment follow-up," "forming peer groups and virtual social support networks," "developing a specialized training package for the health team to provide services during crises," and "designing and implementing a longitudinal study to monitor patients' mental health post-pandemic" . The analysis of implementation barriers showed that each option faces specific challenges, including patient data confidentiality, fear of disease status disclosure, social stigma, limited access to technology, shortage of specialized human resources, and operational costs. Given these considerations, a prioritization of options is recommended: first, designing a remote service system as the primary infrastructure for continuity of treatment and counseling; followed by establishing mental health screening programs in counseling centers; then forming peer groups and social support networks; and in the subsequent stages, developing the training package for the health team and finally designing the longitudinal mental health monitoring study. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.