Stigma of HIV and AIDS—Psychiatric Aspects

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami Khalife ◽  
Jocelyn Soffer
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Adequate Care ◽  
Cellular Immunodeficiency

Since 1981, when previously healthy young adults were first stricken with a mysterious illness that was eventually described as “a new acquired cellular immunodeficiency” (Gottlieb et al., 1981), understanding of HIV and AIDS, both the in the medical community and general society, has come a long way. There remains, however, an unfortunate degree of stigma that persists since its development in the early days of the illness (Cohen and Weisman, 1986; Cohen, 1987, 1992; Cohen and Alfonso, 1998;Cohen, 2008). Early in the course of this epidemic, as it became evident that the immune deficiency had an infectious etiology and could lead to rapidly fatal complications, many became fearful of the possibility of contagion. An “epidemic of fear” (Hunter, 1990) thus began to develop along with the AIDS epidemic. During the first decade, even many physicians surveyed had negative attitudes toward persons with HIV and AIDS (Kelly et al., 1987; Thompson, 1987; Wormser and Joline, 1989). At the beginning of the HIV epidemic some persons hospitalized with AIDS experienced difficulty receiving even minimally adequate care, including getting their rooms cleaned, obtaining water or food, and receiving proper medical attention. Psychiatric consultations for AIDS patients with depression, withdrawal, and treatment refusal often revealed the heightened feelings of isolation and depression experienced by the patients, in part as a result of the reactions of staff members to their illness, including the palpable fear of contagion. Holtz and coauthors (1983) were the first to describe the profound withdrawal from human contact as the “sheet sign,” observed when persons with AIDS hid under their sheets and completely covered their faces. Thus, since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, people with AIDS have been stigmatized. They have felt shunned and ostracized by not only medical caregivers but also the general community and even by their own families and friends. In some areas of the world, persons with AIDS have been quarantined because of the irrational fears, discrimination, and stigma associated with this pandemic. In the United States, persons with AIDS have lost their homes and jobs, and some children and adolescents have been excluded from classrooms.

The Under-Enrollment of HIV-infected Foster Children in Clinical Trials and Protocols and the Need for Corrective State Action

1994 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-249
Author(s):  
Briar McNutt
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
State Action ◽  
Pediatric Aids ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Year 2000

The incidence of HIV infection and AIDS in children has grown at an alarming rate. Approximately one million children worldwide have HIV infection. By the year 2000, an estimated ten million children will suffer from the disease. Currently, the United States has a population of an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 HIV-infected children. As of June 30, 1993, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 4,710 known AIDS cases in children twelve years-old and younger. At that point, New York City reported 1,124 pediatric AIDS cases which represented twenty-four percent of all cases in the United States.With the rising number of HIV-infected children, the medical community in the United States has begun to search for HIV-and AIDS-related treatments particularized for children. In addition to establishing guidelines for HIV-infected children's frequent check-ups and timely immunizations, the medical community has initiated research studies involving HIV-infected children.

A Biopsychosocial Approach to Treatment

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Cohen ◽  
Harold W. Goforth
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Immune Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Human Contact

The care of persons with HIV and AIDS presents clinicians, caregivers, families, and loved ones with special biopsychosocial challenges posed by the infectious nature of HIV, the specific modes of HIV transmission, the particular way HIV affects the brain, the age of onset, and the complex stigma of HIV. These challenges differentiate AIDS from other severe and complex illnesses, causes, have significant clinical and public health implications, and necessitate early recognition and treatment. The multifactorial nature of these challenges is summarized in Table 11.1, and some unique aspects of AIDS are briefly summarized in Table 11.2. AIDS psychiatrists, psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists, physicians trained in both medicine and psychiatry, and other mental health clinicians can play a vital role the care of persons with HIV and AIDS, in the prevention of HIV transmission, and in training of other clinicians to alleviate distress, reduce ongoing high-risk behavior and nonadherence, provide support for patients and families, and improve patients’ quality of life. In this chapter, we will review the biopsychosocial aspects of AIDS and suggest strategies to address the unique challenges of this devastating and complex illness. Although the AIDS epidemic was first described in the medical literature in 1981, it was not until 1983 that the first articles were published about the psychosocial or psychiatric aspects of AIDS. The first article was not written by a psychiatrist. This article, written by Holtz and colleagues (1983), was essentially a plea for attention to the psychosocial aspects of AIDS. They stated that “noticeably absent in the flurry of publications about the current epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is reference to the psychosocial impact of this devastating new syndrome.” The authors deplored ostracism of persons with AIDS by both their families and their medical systems of care. These authors were the first to describe the profound withdrawal from human contact as the “sheet sign” observed when a person with AIDS drew a bed sheet over his or her face and head, essentially withdrawing and hiding from visitors.

Global Citizen, Immigrant, Survivor, Activist, Gayby Boomer, Academic, and Editor: Dr. Sy and the History of AIDS Education and Prevention

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-273
Author(s):  
Jesus Ramirez-Valles
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Aids Education ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
History Of ◽  
Scientific Platform ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

In this 30th anniversary of AIDS Education and Prevention, we turn our attention to its founder and editor, Dr. Francisco Sy. I trace Dr. Sy's trajectory, from growing up in a Filipino-Chinese family in Manila to Harvard, Johns Hopkins, South Carolina, and then to the journal. The loss of friends and colleagues to the AIDS epidemic stands out as Sy's driving force behind the journal. AIDS Education and Prevention was also created to fill a tremendous gap in the field: a scientific platform to circulate and discuss research on HIV and AIDS prevention. Over its life course, the content of the journal has mirrored the life of epidemic. Initially, the articles focused on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, mostly in the United States. Now, the articles deal with health interventions and pre-exposure prophylaxis, with authors coming from all over the globe. In Sy's opinion, HIV will become endemic, as other infectious diseases have over our history of epidemics, so the role of journals such as AIDS Education and Prevention will remain vital.

The Global Politics of HIV and AIDS

2018 ◽  
pp. 550-567
Author(s):  
Alan Whiteside
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Health Politics ◽  
Economic Growth And Development ◽  
Need For Treatment ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
The World

Global health politics is a new field of study. At the same time that the importance of health for economic growth and development was resonating with policymakers, the HIV and AIDS epidemic was spreading. Although fears of massive global mortality and potential political collapse did not materialize, the disease has had devastating consequences in some parts of the world and among certain groups. During the 2000s major initiatives among donor countries brought treatment to the poor. The politics of AIDS in 2017 centers around the inability of certain countries to bring the disease under control, and the need for treatment will increase inexorably in the decades ahead. Another major concern is that of low-income countries depend on the largess of donor countries to fund their treatment programmes. Global political changes, but especially in the United States, may mean money is no longer forthcoming, increasing mortality among these populations.

The French Way

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Kuisel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
French Language ◽  
French Cinema ◽  
Free Markets ◽  
Technology Sector ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Political Reality ◽  
Politics And Culture ◽  
The U.S

There are over 1,000 McDonald's on French soil. Two Disney theme parks have opened near Paris in the last two decades. And American-inspired vocabulary such as “le weekend” has been absorbed into the French language. But as former French president Jacques Chirac put it: “The U.S. finds France unbearably pretentious. And we find the U.S. unbearably hegemonic.” Are the French fascinated or threatened by America? They Americanize yet are notorious for expressions of anti-Americanism. From McDonald's and Coca-Cola to free markets and foreign policy, this book looks closely at the conflicts and contradictions of France's relationship to American politics and culture. The book shows how the French have used America as both yardstick and foil to measure their own distinct national identity. France has charted its own path: it has welcomed America's products but rejected American policies; assailed Americ's “jungle capitalism” while liberalizing its own economy; attacked “Reaganomics” while defending French social security; and protected French cinema, television, food, and language even while ingesting American pop culture. The book examines France's role as an independent ally of the United States, but he also considers the country's failures in influencing the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. Whether investigating France's successful information technology sector or its spurning of American expertise during the AIDS epidemic, the book asks if this insistence on a French way represents a growing distance between Europe and the United States or a reaction to American globalization. Exploring cultural trends, values, public opinion, and political reality, this book delves into the complex relationship between two modern nations.

Recent Attitudes toward ADHD in the Broader Community: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 108705472110036
Author(s):  
Matthew Bisset ◽  
Leanne Winter ◽  
Christel M. Middeldorp ◽  
David Coghill ◽  
Nardia Zendarski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Community Attitudes ◽  
Standardized Protocol

Objective: This review aimed to understand the broader community’s attitudes toward ADHD, which could facilitate public health interventions to improve outcomes for individuals with ADHD. Methods: A standardized protocol identified peer-reviewed studies focusing on attitudes of broader community samples, published from January 2014 to February 2020 (inclusive). Results: A total of 1,318 articles were screened and 10 studies were included, examining attitudes of broader community samples from Australia, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Korea, Indonesia, and the United States. Findings revealed that broader community samples displayed varying degrees of ADHD-related knowledge, negative attitudes (that ADHD is over-diagnosed; that pharmacological treatment is not acceptable; that those with ADHD are more likely to exhibit poor behavior), and a desire for maintaining social distance from individuals with ADHD. Conclusion: Findings suggest that community attitudes are generally negative toward those with ADHD. Targeted mental health literacy could provide an important avenue for improving the broader community’s attitudes toward those with ADHD.

Integration to Inclusion in Hong Kong: Not an Easy Progression

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Peter Westwood
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Standards ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Large Class Size ◽  
Inclusive Schooling ◽  
Education In Hong Kong

Abstract This article describes the evolution of inclusive education in Hong Kong, moving from segregation via integration to inclusion. The outside influence of education policies and trends from Britain, Australia, and the United States are identified, and the current situation is described. In particular, obstacles that are encountered on the route to inclusion are compared with those found in other countries. These obstacles include large class size, teachers’ often negative attitudes, parents’ expectations, teachers’ lack of expertise for adapting the curriculum and for providing differentiated teaching, and ongoing conflicts between the notion of ‘inclusive schooling for all’ and the ‘academic standards agenda’.

The practice of surrogacy as a phenomenon of ‘bare life’: An analysis of the Japanese case applying Agamben’s theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 001139212096489
Author(s):  
Yoshie Yanagihara
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Society ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Representations ◽  
Bare Life ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Surrogate Mothers ◽  
Political Perspective ◽  
Mothers And Children ◽  
History Of ◽  
Magazine Articles

This article elaborates the cultural and political structures that inform the belief among Japanese that surrogacy is legitimate. It argues that this belief reflects a transition from previously negative attitudes toward surrogacy practices developed in the United States. The article first elaborates the history of the Japanese recognition of surrogacy by introducing early forms of East Asian surrogacy that lasted until the first half of the 20th century. Second, it explores the recent shift in Japanese discussions about surrogacy through an analysis of cultural representations on the topic, mainly referring to a dataset of magazine articles published from 1981 to the present. The author then calls upon Giorgio Agamben’s theoretical framework to discuss the juridico-political perspective of ‘bare life’ as it relates to surrogacy, and argues that considering surrogate mothers and children conceived through surrogacy as bare life makes surrogate practice seem reasonable in modern Japanese society. To conclude, the article stresses the importance of incorporating women’s reproductive functions into law to prevent women and their conceived children from becoming bare life, and being exposed to violence, in the form of a surrogacy contract.

A Qualitative Case Study of Exemplary Principal Leadership in the United States Virgin Islands: An Application of Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

2021 ◽  
pp. 194277512199005
Author(s):  
Suetania Emmanuel ◽  
Clinton A. Valley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Principal Leadership ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
United States Virgin Islands ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Exemplary Leadership ◽  
Five Practices

Effective leadership is foundational to the success of all organizations. This qualitative case study aimed to explore exemplary principal leadership in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). The study was based on Kouzes and Posner’s model of exemplary leadership. Interviews were held with school principals, teachers, and nonteaching staff members in three schools in USVI. The principal leaders in the USVI were found to exhibit the five practices of exemplary leadership as postulated by Kouzes and Posner. The study recommends that the Education department in USVI should develop guidelines and professional development opportunities to enhance exemplary leadership practices among principals.

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