Search

To date, there has been little research to examine how much psychological distress is caused to people providing care and support to a lover or partner with AIDS. This study aimed to determine the level of psychological distress experienced by a sample of gay men providing care and support to a lover or partner with AIDS. It was conducted as a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. A control group was not enlisted, thus the study was descriptive in nature. The experimental hypothesis proposed that providing care and support would result in a high level of psychological distress. Thirty-eight gay men, some of whom themselves were infected with HIV, who were the primary carer of a lover or partner with an AIDS diagnosis were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. The 28-item General Health Questionnaire was used as a measure of global psychological distress. In addition, Martin's (1988) Traumatic Stress Response Scale was used as a measure of psychological distress arising specifically from AIDS. The sample reported high levels of global and AIDS-specific psychological distress. The levels of distress reported were of such a degree to indicate that the majority of the sample were probably suffering from significant psychiatric problems. The results strongly suggest that providing care and support to a lover or partner with AIDS may have an adverse affect on the carer's own psychological health: however, because of the design of the study it is impossible to state this conclusively.

The present study retrospectively examines the role of stressful life events in the onset of vitiligo in adults. A matched clinical sample of patients with other forms of disfigurement or skin disease (dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and naevi, not thought to be associated with stress) served as a control group. Newly diagnosed patients and matched controls were thus asked to complete the 12-month version of the Schedule of Recent Experience, a questionnaire which measures the frequency and number of stressful life events occurring over a specified period. The results suggest that such patients endure a significantly higher number of stressful life events than do controls, suggesting that psychological distress may have contributed to the onset of their condition. The implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made for future research.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate outpatients9 use of, and satisfaction with social care services in an HIV unit. DESIGN--Survey of patients with HIV infection using self administered questionnaire. SETTING--Outpatient HIV clinics at the Royal Free Hospital, London, March-April 1991. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Patients9 social circumstances, use or intended use of social care services and satisfaction with social care services. RESULTS--The greatest demand was for counselling about coping with HIV (38% of respondents), available medical treatment (24%), counselling for the HIV test (33%), psychological support for emotional (24%) or relationship problems (16%), advice about housing (24%) and financial matters (20%). In general, the use of social care services by men and women was similar. Twice as many men, however, sought help with payment of domestic bills, compared with women. Women were more likely to seek advice about financial benefits, obtaining sterile injecting equipment and discuss sleep and relationship problems. Thirty eight percent of patients were unemployed. Overall, 84% thought the service was good or excellent. Although less than 40% of patients currently used any one service, 60% thought they would use these services in the future. CONCLUSION--The greatest demand for social care services was for coping with HIV, housing and financial matters, and HIV test counselling. More than half the patients stated that they would probably need social care services in future.

The number of new patients referred to the HIV/AIDS Counselling Unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London, increased from 926 in 1989–90 to 1450 in 1990–91. Follow-up contacts nearly doubled during the same period of time. Growing demand for HIV testing as well as the shift to the treatment of HIV as a chronic condition increased the workload of the HIV/AIDS counsellors.