Psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community: a study of seropositive gay men and voluntary caregivers. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community: a study of seropositive gay men and voluntary caregivers.

Am J Community Psychol. 1991 Apr;19(2):279-87. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/91328093
Viney LL; Crooks L; Walker BM; Henry R; Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, New South; Wales, Australia.

Abstract: Addressed both the psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community. The gay community in Sydney, Australia, was represented by men who were seropositive (n = 60) and voluntary caregivers (n = 60). They were compared with two samples of men outside the gay community, who were ill with non-AIDS-related medical conditions (n = 30), and well (n = 30). Their psychological frailness and strength were measured by content analysis scales. Both the seropositive men and the caregivers showed the frailness of anxiety, indirectly expressed anger and helplessness, but also the compensating strength of greater personal competence and good feeling relative to the other men. The men who were seropositive or had other illnesses showed the predicted frailness of anxiety and depression but neither indirectly expressed anger nor helplessness. The seropositive men and caregivers of the gay community differed from each other only in the high levels of depression of the former.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PSYCHOLOGY *Adaptation, Psychological Adult Anger Anxiety Australia Comparative Study Depression *Homosexuality/PSYCHOLOGY Human HIV Infections/*PSYCHOLOGY Male Middle Age Multivariate Analysis *Voluntary Workers JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDpsychologyKWDadaptation,psychologicaladultangeranxietyaustraliacomparativestudydepressionKWDhomosexuality/psychologyhumanhivinfections/KWDpsychologymalemiddleagemultivariateanalysisKWDvoluntaryworkersjournalarticle
911130
M91B0563

Copyright © 1991 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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