Counselling implications of anxiety and depression in AIDS and HIV infection: A pilot study

Sherr, Lorraine; Davey, Thomas; Strong, Cameron R.

doi:10.1080/09515079108254426

“…Staff are often wary or untrained in dealing with suicidal ideation (Sherr and Davey, 1991), which is a common response in the face of a fatal illness (Fox et al, 1982;Schoenfeld et al, 1984). Although people commonly associate suicide with AIDS, our data suggest that people with AIDS are less likely to think about suicide than those who are asymptomatic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Psychological needs and HIV/AIDS

Hedge

¹

,

Sherr

²

1995

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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Mental Health problems are associated with life‐threatening illnesses generally and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) specifically. This report describes the range and extent of psychological problems and therapeutic input for all patients (n = 258) referred to an HIV clinical psychology service over a one‐year period at a teaching hospital in the area of highest HIV prevalence in the UK. The majority (79%) were HIV positive; of these 92% were gay males, 6.5% heterosexual women and 1.5% heterosexual men. The age range was 15 to 72 years. Referrals were received for patients at all stages of HIV disease and for partners and relatives who were HIV negative but affected by HIV infection in another. The highest rate of referral was for HIV positive patients who were asymptomatic and the greatest intensity of need was for those with AIDS. Suicide (ideation or behaviour) was an issue in referral for 43 patients. Assessment revealed the major problems to include anxiety (48%), relationship problems (31.7%), depression (26.5%), adjustment to HIV status (16.9%), bereavement (12%), employment (11%), sexual issues (10%), isolation and suicide (9% each). Psychological therapy for the majority took the form of short‐term or crisis intervention. Group intervention did not substitute for individual therapy. The needs of patients were examined. They ranged from general interventions addressing adjustment to infection with HIV or an AIDS diagnosis, to specific input for issues such as sexual difficulties or coping with physical illness and bereavement. The data are discussed in terms of the growing demand for psychological services.

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“…In relation to HIV, counselling psychologists have been addressing the education of professionals (Sherr & Davey, 1991) and the wider society, as well as providing assessment and counselling to individuals, their loved ones, their caretakers (Gurney, 1995) and their communities (Bor, Miller, & Goldman, 1992a;Bor & Elford, 1998).…”

Section: Counselling Psychologists' Approaches To Working With Disabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Counselling psychology and disability

Kanellakis¹

2010

EJOP

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This article addresses disability-related theory and research associated to attitudes and social action, equality of opportunity, respect and inclusion. It highlights the significance of disability in counselling psychology and that counselling psychologists (as other such professionals) need to be mindful of the wider disability issues that may be related to even those clients who do not apparently present with disabilities. Issues of terminology and conceptualisation of the terms disability versus handicap are then addressed. Linking issues of equality of opportunity, inclusion & respect to disability, as a psychosocial construct, leads to the exploration of individuals owning their own and their families' disabilities and, consequently, challenging the positioning of disability outside the personal. Counselling psychologists' approaches to working with disability are then discussed and four examples are explored. It is concluded that counselling psychologists can use their skills to intervene at preventative and organisational as well as psychological counselling/therapy level and that they are also contributing significantly as translators of medical jargon, mediators between clients and medical personnel, and as educators.

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Counselling psychology and disability

Kanellakis¹

2010

PsycEXTRA Dataset

0

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This article addresses disability-related theory and research associated to attitudes and social action, equality of opportunity, respect and inclusion. It highlights the significance of disability in counselling psychology and that counselling psychologists (as other such professionals) need to be mindful of the wider disability issues that may be related to even those clients who do not apparently present with disabilities. Issues of terminology and conceptualisation of the terms disability versus handicap are then addressed. Linking issues of equality of opportunity, inclusion & respect to disability, as a psychosocial construct, leads to the exploration of individuals owning their own and their families' disabilities and, consequently, challenging the positioning of disability outside the personal. Counselling psychologists' approaches to working with disability are then discussed and four examples are explored. It is concluded that counselling psychologists can use their skills to intervene at preventative and organisational as well as psychological counselling/therapy level and that they are also contributing significantly as translators of medical jargon, mediators between clients and medical personnel, and as educators.

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Counselling implications of anxiety and depression in AIDS and HIV infection: A pilot study

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

Psychological needs and HIV/AIDS

Psychological needs and HIV/AIDS

Counselling psychology and disability

Counselling psychology and disability

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