Objective To investigate the mental health status of adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infection or acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS).Methods Ninety-four patients with HIV infection or AIDS and 38 healthy subjects were enrolled and filled in the Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90),Coping Styles Questionnaire(CSQ)and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire(EPQ).Resultsin SCL-90,the scores of compulsion ,depression,anxiety and psychoticism factor were significantly increased in the patient group(all P＜0.05).In the study group,the scores of depression and paranoid ideation factors of male patients were higher than those of female patients.For the participants with HIV infection or AIDS,several factors of SCL-90 were correlative with CSQ and EPQ(r=0.21 to 0.70).ConclusionEmotional disorders may be the most common mental problem of patients with HIV infection or AIDS,and social and psychological supports should be needed.