Psychological distress and neuropsychological complications of HIV infection and AIDS.

Abstract

AIDS, whether real or threatened, poses a radical challenge to the psychological, social, and practical adaptation of individuals at various stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. The challenge arises from multiple sources, including disease progression, social discrimination, bereavement, pressure for life-style change, and neurological impairment associated with HIV brain infection. The consequences of this challenge to people with HIV infection, AIDS-related complex, AIDS, and AIDS dementia complex are reviewed. The potential for both personal crisis and personal growth in response to this challenge is highlighted.

The Nature and Correlates of Psychological Adjustment in Gay Men with AIDS‐Related Conditions1

“…The 1 1-item Health Locus of Control scale (Wallston, Wallston, Kaplan, & Maides, 1976) assesses the extent to which one agrees (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree) that health outcomes are under one's control (e.g., If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness). The 1 1-item Health Locus of Control scale (Wallston, Wallston, Kaplan, & Maides, 1976) assesses the extent to which one agrees (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree) that health outcomes are under one's control (e.g., If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness).…”

“…First, relative to other men, those who are symptomatic might experience the poorest psychological adjustment due to both experiencing health conditions with a high probability of resulting in death and encountering social and practical (e.g., employment, insurance, housing) liabilities associated with the disease (Kelly & St. Lawrence, 1988;Tross & Hirsch, 1988). Differences in psychological adjustment could follow one of two patterns.…”

Détresse psychologique chez les personnes atteintes du VIH à Montréal

“…Leurs préoccupations courantes se rangent dans le même ordre que celles des cancéreux, bien que ces derniers se font davantage de soucis pour leur santé et leur famille (Namir, 1986). Cependant, d'autres tensions spécifiques aux malades du VIH et du sida s'ajoutent à ce stress (Blaney et Piccola, 1987;Christ et al, 1985;De Montigny et Lapointe, 1989;Dilley et al, 1985;Dilley et al, 1986;Gilmore, 1987;Goulden et al, 1984;Govoni, 1988;Kelly et St.Lawrence, 1986;Morin et Batchelor, 1984;Ostrow et Gayle, 1986;Rosenthal et Haneiwich, 1988;Scandlyn, 1988;Tross et Hirsch, 1988;Wolcott, 1986;Wong et al, 1988). Ces tensions peuvent s'expliquer par deux caractéristiques générales de la maladie sidatique qui la distinguent des autres maladies chroniques ou mortelles.…”

“…Un autre ensemble distinct de facteurs de stress vient du fait que l'infection au VIH entraîne une stigmatisation sociale et, partant, inspire un plus grand sentiment d'isolement social que d'autres maladies chroniques ou mortelles (Blaney et Piccola, 1987;Dilley et al, 1985;Dilley et al, 1986;Goulden et al, 1984;Govoni, 1988;Kelly et St.Lawrence, 1986;Lanctôt et De Montigny, 1989;Morin et Batchelor, 1984;Scandlyn, 1988;Tross et Hirsch, 1988;Wolcott, 1986). L'infection au VIH aboutit à une double stigmatisation: d'abord, il s'agit d'une maladie grave, mortelle et, qui plus est, contagieuse; ensuite, elle est associée à des groupes déjà stigmatisés, en particulier les homosexuels et les personnes qui s'injectent de la drogue (Abrams et al, 1986;Durham et Hatcher, 1984;Govoni, 1988;Hereket Glunt, 1988).…”

Living With the AIDS Virus: A Representative Case

“…Then it infiltrated the community of intravenous drug users, and now it is spreading into the heterosexual population, particularly among black and Hispanic women. Although the medical and psychological profiles of "the average" person with AIDS are being described in the literature (Tross & Hirsch, 1988;McKusick, 1986;Navia, Jordan, & Price, 1986), little is known about the psychological condition of individuals who have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) yet who remain asymptomatic. This is surprising when one considers that, in the United States, an estimated 1.5 million people have tested positive for the virus, and that among this group only 105,990 actual cases of AIDS have been reported (Centers for Disease Control, 1989).…”