Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Psychological distress among gay men supporting a lover or partner with AIDS: a pilot study.
AIDS Care. 1995;7(5):605-17. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96263766 Irving G; Bor R; Catalan J; Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Abstract:
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.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PSYCHOLOGY Adult Analysis of Variance Caregivers/*PSYCHOLOGY Cross-Sectional Studies Health Status *Homosexuality, Male Human London Male Middle Age Pilot Projects Sexual Partners/*PSYCHOLOGY *Stress, Psychological Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE 961030
M96A1450
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
