...The Role of Social Support in Coping with HIV/AIDS The topic of HIV/AIDS is particularly relevant in a South African context due to the rate of infection in this country, as well as the government’s stance on HIV/AIDS policy. South has Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world. The Mbeki regime’s policy has only recently been changed to increase the availability of antiretrovirals to those infected. While these antiretrovirals may be used to treat the virus itself, they are ineffective in dealing with the stressors associated with the virus. Indeed, it can be argued that environmental factors, specifically social support, have the greatest positive influence in this regard. This essay will consider whether this is the case by examining the role of social support in dealing with the HIV/AIDS diagnosis, related health decline and infections and the prejudice and stigma attached to said diagnosis. In order to do this, one must first examine the definition of social support. Thoits (1995) as cited in Mizuno, Purcell, Dawson-Rose, Parsons & The Sudis Team (2003 p.690) defines social support as “instrumental, emotional or informational assistance from significant others” and goes on to find social support “one of the major coping resources for people experiencing stressful life events or chronic strains.” “Significant others” is generally understood to mean partners, friends and family, but could also refer to traditional caregivers in a hospital environment. Friedland...
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...Social Anthropology Observations Chesney Ward- Smith Site D, Leslie Social Basic setting from the top stairs looking down- to my direct left there is a large tree as well as a parking lot which is semi- full. Further down on my left is a large concrete, grey building known as the Geographical Sciences building. It has about ten stories. This building is covered with ivy which has variants of greens, browns and reds in contrast with the grey concrete. In front of me are also four different coloured bins for recycling. They are red, blue, green and yellow. To my right is another concrete building, known as the Leslie Social building. It has five stories. There are glass doors which make it accessible from the side. To my immediate right, there is a small, round, little hut which is a cafe known as Bananazen. On the outside of it there are various pictures of fresh fruit. There are also many green, six- seater tables outside of the cafe which are covered by large white umbrellas. Looking straight ahead and down there are multiple levels of grey concrete stairs leading down to the avenue. There are also more tables. Overhead there are many concrete beams connecting the two buildings. They are literally joined together. These are very angular and run diagonally across the buildings. Observing with all my senses in detail Sight- This is a place of passing by and much human traffic in between lectures. During these times there are lines of people walking hurriedly to and from...
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...The Role of Social Support in Coping with HIV/AIDS The topic of HIV/AIDS is particularly relevant in a South African context due to the rate of infection in this country, as well as the government’s stance on HIV/AIDS policy. South has Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world. The Mbeki regime’s policy has only recently been changed to increase the availability of antiretrovirals to those infected. While these antiretrovirals may be used to treat the virus itself, they are ineffective in dealing with the stressors associated with the virus. Indeed, it can be argued that environmental factors, specifically social support, have the greatest positive influence in this regard. This essay will consider whether this is the case by examining the role of social support in dealing with the HIV/AIDS diagnosis, related health decline and infections and the prejudice and stigma attached to said diagnosis. In order to do this, one must first examine the definition of social support. Thoits (1995) as cited in Mizuno, Purcell, Dawson-Rose, Parsons & The Sudis Team (2003 p.690) defines social support as “instrumental, emotional or informational assistance from significant others” and goes on to find social support “one of the major coping resources for people experiencing stressful life events or chronic strains.” “Significant others” is generally understood to mean partners, friends and family, but could also refer to traditional caregivers in a hospital environment. Friedland...
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...Influence of Social Factors on the Course of HIV/AIDS An estimated 34.2 million people are infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) worldwide (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statistics.html). Currently there is no cure for HIV or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS); however, a combination of medication and good mental health may treat the disease (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/hivaids/understanding/treatment/pages/default.aspx; http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/staying-healthy-with-hiv-aids/taking-care-of-yourself/mental-health/). Most of the individuals who are infected with HIV/AIDS experience depression and an increase in life stressors. However, positive social support and disclosure of HIV/AIDS status decreases stress, leading to better mental health (Hays, Turner, & Coates, 1992; Turner-Cobb et al., 2002). The major at-risk groups for HIV/AIDS are adolescents, gays, bisexuals, injected drug users, and minority women (Taylor & Sirois, 2011). In this paper, the influence of social factors on the course of HIV/AIDS is investigated. It is hypothesized that the influence of social support, such as emotional (receiving emotional comfort), informational (receiving information or advice on personal issues), and practical (counting on others for help) on mental health will mitigate the course and experience of HIV. Five empirical studies are explored in an attempt to demonstrate and support the hypothesis. In a research article by Hay, Turner and...
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... The Role of Families in Preventing and Adapting to HIV/AIDS Issues and Answers Willo Pequegnat National Institute of Mental Health José Szapocznik University of Miami A lthough the role of families in caring for its sick members is as old as hu mankind, only and health professionals,in recent years have researchers, family practitioners recognized the important role of the family in disease pre vention and health promotion (Anderson & Bury, 1988 ; Cohen & Wills, 1985; Kazak, 1989) . With enhanced treatments, HIV infection is now becoming a long-term chronic illness affecting hundreds of thousands of families . As a seri ous chronic illness, HIV infection is creating pressure o n health care and social and mental health service providers to design comprehensive systems for fami lies . For each of the more than 688,200 persons in the United States with AIDS, there are parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and friends and partners in the fam ily constellation who are affected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1998b) . The family is de facto and often de jure caretakers when one of its members is ill or in trouble (Pequegnat & Bray, 1997). AUTHORS' NOTE: The second author was partially supported in writing this chapter by NIMH Grant R37 MH55796 . Requests for further information on this chapter should be sent to Dr. Willo Pequegnat, Associate Director, Primary Prevention, Translational, and International Research, Center for Mental Health...
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...Minnesota AIDS Project Interview Jodie Burt BHSH/312 September 1, 2010 Carol Tripp Abstract On June 28, 2011, I interviewed case management supervisor Jacquie Meissner, at the Minnesota AIDS Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the interview, I asked her a series of 12 questions pertaining to the nature of the agency, interventions provided, her role within the agency, the HIV/AIDS community, common clinical issues, and how services are funded. In this interview process, I found Ms. Meissner to be very professional, informational, and passionate about her line of work. It was very clear that this was not simply a job to her and she was very passionate about the HIV/AIDS population she advocates for. The following is an outline of the questions asked and her responses. Minnesota AIDS Project Interview Jacquie Meissner is the case management supervisor for the Minnesota AIDS Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The following are the questions asked throughout the interview: 1. What is your role within the agency? 2. How was a need for the program determined? 3. What services does your company provide? 4. How did they determine a need for the program? 5. What type of consumers does your company service? 6. What is the mission statement of your agency? 7. What other agencies if any are you affiliated with or collaborate with? 8. What type of impact do the outcomes achieved have on your community and how is the...
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...Risk Factors of Cancer and HIV/AIDS Michaila Shaak Psych 627 05/11/2015 Professor Rebecca Gazda Risk Factors of Cancer and HIV/AIDS Cancer and HIV/AIDS are both deadly diseases which causes the body to turn against itself making normal functioning a danger (Straub, 2012). Cells of the body are intended to divide and replenish, but when abnormal cells do this, they become malignant tumors which spread throughout the body (Straub, 2012). Though some cancers can be caused by lifestyle choices and others have a stronger genetic component, none discriminates. Cancer can affect every gender, age, culture and ethnicity (Straub, 2012). Though HIV/AIDS can also be found throughout the population, the way that it is acquired is much different than cancer which cannot be passed from person to person (Straub, 2012). The paper will cover the immune surveillance model of cancer in psychoneuroimmunology and address how it compares to the biphasic model. We will also explore the effects of psychosocial factors on cancer and HIV/AIDS, specifically strategies for coping and stress management in cancer patients as well as the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS. According to Straub (2012), cancers can be divided into four types. The first and most common of these are carcinomas, which make up about 85 percent of all cancer that is diagnosed in adults (Straub, 2012). This type of cancer attack epithelial cells or the inner and outer surfaces of the body including the major organs and the skin...
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...HIV/AIDS Affect on the African American Community Nicole Donald Capella University HIV/AIDS Affect on the African American Community HIV/AIDS is prevalent in the African American community. African Americans are among the highest risk group for contracting HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has been an issue in the African-American community for a number of years. This learner will provide a general overview on the ethnic population under study but will have a particular focus on black heterosexual men for the purpose contributing to the much lacking knowledge base on this particular population subset. Problem Statement The topic of HIV/AIDS is relevant to mental health counseling because this disease can have a devastating effect on the psyche of any human being suffering with this illness. Many minority teens and adults have a passive attitude when it comes to HIV/AIDS, and when confronted with the issue, they need to have access to the proper channels for information and support. Over 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV infection, and approximately 56,000 new HIV infections are reported every year in the United States alone (Kamen, et al., 2012). Black heterosexual men (BHM) are seldom mentioned in HIV prevention research, policy, and interventions, despite evidence that heterosexual contact is becoming the leading exposure category for BHM (Bowleg & Raj, 2012). It is important to identify the risk factors and treatments available for African Americans with HIV/AIDS...
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...HIV/AIDS social and behavioural research: past advances and thoughts about the future Authors: J P Moatti, Y Souteyrand Journal: Social Science [?] Medicine This paper is an introduction to the various contributions in this special issue of Social Science & Medicine which are an attempt to synthesise the main debates of the 2nd European Conference on Social and Behavioural Research on AIDS held in Paris, in January 1998. The paper discusses how the recent advent of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) and new trends in the epidemic (its concentration in the socially most vulnerable groups and countries) have affected the research agenda of European social and behavioural sciences (SBS) in HIV/AIDS. Questions which had already been thoroughly studied by SBS (like determinants of HIV-related risk behaviours, or impact of gender and socio-economic inequities as well as discrimination on the diffusion of HIV) will have to be "revisited" in light of these recent changes. New issues (such as risk behaviours among already infected patients. impact of therapeutic advances on psychosocial and daily life management of their disease by people living with HIV/AIDS, adherence to treatment, or "normalisation" of AIDS public policies) will have to be strongly and quickly dealt with, in order for SSB to keep the pace with the rapid evolution of the epidemic and of the societal responses to it. Finally, the paper argues that to face these challenges, new theoretical and methodological...
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...with chronic disease HIV is a 58 years old female that due to an emergency surgery performed in 2001 was diagnosed with the disease. In 1992 the patient was undergoing a DNC to terminated an unplanned pregnancy, there was some bleeding involved in the procedure for what she needed some replacement products, two units of RBC were administered, blood was contaminated and patient came into contact with the virus. Patient is a widow with three adult children and work as a secretary in a law firm. Patient not sexually active, her husband passed away 15 years ago, is not overweight, is careful with her diet, was smoker but quit 30 years ago, do not drink alcohol. HIV According to Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (2011) “ estimates that approximately 50, 000 people in the United States are newly infected with HIV each year. Black/ African men and women were highly affected and were estimated to have HIV incidence rate almost 8 times as high as the incidence rate among whites. At the end 0f 2010, an estimated 872,990 persons in the United States were living with diagnosed HIV. It includes persons with diagnosis regardless of the stage of disease at diagnosis. DCD collect HIV and AIDS data using six common transmissions categories: male-to-male sexual contact, injection drug use, male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission, and other (includes blood transfusions and unknown cause). HIV is most commonly diagnosed...
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...behaviour. Talcott Parsons was the one who initially introduced this view and formulated the sick role (behavioural characteristics a sick person adopts according to the normative demands of that situation) (Cockerham, 2003:142). The basis for illness being defined as deviance comes from sociological definition of deviance being any act or behaviour violating the social norms within any given social system deviant behaviour consists of making social judgements about what is regarded as right according to the social norms (Cockerham, 2003:142). Symbolic interactionist also influences focuses on individuals and their relationships with one another. They point out that people learn meanings from one another and that they organise their lives according to those meanings (ferrante,...
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...Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 23, No. 6, 2004, pp. 747-767 REASONS FOR HIV DISCLOSURE DERLEGA ET AL. REASONS FOR HIV DISCLOSURE/NONDISCLOSURE IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS: TESTING A MODEL OF HIV–DISCLOSURE DECISION MAKING VALERIAN J. DERLEGA AND BARBARA A. WINSTEAD Old Dominion University KATHRYN GREENE Rutgers University JULIANNE SEROVICH Ohio State University WILLIAM N. ELWOOD Center for Public Health and Evaluation Research This research examined the relative importance of reasons for HIV disclosure/nondisclosure with a friend, intimate partner, and parents. Participants were 145 men and women with HIV. Overall, catharsis, a will to duty/educate, and having a close/supportive relationship were endorsed as reasons that influence HIV disclosure. Privacy, self–blame, fear of rejection, and protecting the other were endorsed as reasons that influence nondisclosure. Both men and women endorsed testing the other’s reaction as a reason for disclosing more for an intimate partner, whereas they endorsed privacy more as a reason for not disclosing to a friend. Men (mostly self–identified as homosexuals or bisexuals), but not women (mostly self–identified as heterosexuals), endorsed similarity as a reason for disclosing more to a friend or intimate partner than to a parent. The results are consistent with a Model of HIV–Disclosure Decision Making that indicates how cultural attitudes This research is partly supported by a research grant (#R01DA13145–01A1) from the...
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...1. IMPACTS OF HIV/AIDS The impacts of HIV/AIDS on poor rural populations are many and intertwined. The impacts can be felt most dramatically in entrenched poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, in the reduction of the labour force, and in the loss of essential knowledge that is transmitted from generation to generation. And the impacts are felt disproportionately among women. What's more, these same consequences of HIV/AIDS - poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, reduced labour force and loss of knowledge - contribute to making the rural poor more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection. This devastating cycle must be broken, and the agricultural sector has a critical role to play. It is estimated that 42 million people in the world are infected with the HIV virus. Assuming that each HIV/AIDS case directly influences the lives of four other individuals, at least 168 million people are likely to be affected by the epidemic. And approximately 95 percent of them live in develping countries. Food security HIV/AIDS takes its toll on food security in a number of ways. For example: HIV increases fatigue and decreases work productivity, which means less food on the table. In households coping with sick family members, food consumption generally decreases. As adults fall ill, families face increasing medical and health care costs, thus reducing the possibility for them to purchase the food that they can no longer produce. While the number of productive family members decline...
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...The impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa Two-thirds of all people infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, although this region contains little more than 10% of the world’s population.1 AIDS has caused immense human suffering in the continent. The most obvious effect of this crisis has been illness and death, but the impact of the epidemic has certainly not been confined to the health sector; households, schools, workplaces and economies have also been badly affected. During 2008 alone, an estimated 1.4 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.2 Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 15 million Africans have died from AIDS.3 Although access to antiretroviral treatment is starting to lessen the toll of AIDS, fewer than half of Africans who need treatment are receiving it.4 The impact of AIDS will remain severe for many years to come. The impact on the health sector In all heavily affected countries the AIDS epidemic is adding additional pressure on the health sector. As the epidemic matures, the demand for care for those living with HIV rises, as does the toll of AIDS on health workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, the direct medical costs of AIDS (excluding antiretroviral therapy) have been estimated at about US$30 per year for every person infected, at a time when overall public health spending is less than US$10 per year for most African countries.5 The effect on hospitals [pic] Nurses working on the HIV ward at Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda ...
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...Development Trust Diploma In HIV Counseling, Care And Prevention SECOND BLOCK ASSIGNMENT SECTION B Discuss the possible psychological effects of HIV and AIDS on a couple that has HIV discordant results June 2011 0772 286 311 HIV discordant couples are those in which one of the couples has HIV negative and the other has HIV positive. Such couples definitely suffer from psychological effects which may range from mild to severe. Psychological effects are those thoughts, feelings and emotions that affect the mental well being of the affected and infected persons. The one living with HIV/AIDS is referred to as the infected while the partner who is HIV negative is referred to as the affected. The following is a list of the most common psychological effects faced by a couple that has HIV discordant results. When a wife or husband tested HIV positive will need to develop new coping patterns and this may trigger a variety of reactions from others such as family members, partner, employees, co-workers, counselors and other helping professionals. • Fear • Loss • Grief • Guilt • Denial • Anger • Anxiety • Low self esteem • Depression • Suicidal behavior • Feelings of isolation The psychological effects vary from individual to individual and not everyone experience all the emotional responses because HIV/AIDS situation is as unique as...
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