Health Psychology of HIV and AIDS

HIV and AIDS have been growing and spreading in Canada since the early 1980s.   

Risk varies across the population, those who are involved in intravenous drug use, receiving blood products or in an aboriginal population are at higher risk. In recent years it has become more prevalent among older herterosexual women.

The physiological effects of human immunodeficiency virus include neoplasms (i.e., non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Karposi sarcoma). 

Psychological distress and HIV/AIDS - issues of self esteem, depression, anxiety.

Helping People Cope with HIV/AIDS - Since SSRIs may lead to a deterioration of their condition,  therapy can be beneficial.

PNI - HIV

Goodkin et al (1992) have found that those who are low in stress and high in social support have greater NK cell activity.

Likewise, Theorell et al (1995) have shown that those low in social support had relatively lower levels of T-helper cells after two years in contrast to those with higher social support

 Negative & Positive Mood and HIV Infection

Burack et al. (1993) found that depressed HIV positive men demonstrated a greater decline in T-Cell activity than non-depressed controls.

Others have not found such a relationship, while Kiecolt-Glasser and Glasser (1995) suggest that depression had an impact on T-Cell counts for those who initially recorded high levels as opposed to those who initially had lower levels. [Why?]

Balfour et al (2003) found that stress and depression were related to reduce CD4 (helper T cells) and that this effect size counted for 17 % of the variance observed.

Robinson (2002) found a psycho-endocrine-immune response to mindfulness-based stress reduction in HIV-infected individuals at 8 week and 3 month followup. In particualr NK cell activity and count as well as a decrease in fatigue, depression, anger and confusion.

HIV/AIDs in the international perspective

Tonks (2003)identifies a number of issues at play when looking at HIV/AIDS from the perspective of International Health psychology. This was prepared as  commentary on the work of Lubek et al.'s SiRCHESI project in Cambodia began with the "Beer Girls"  Siem Reap Photos

Stephen Lewis : sounds like Canada-Independent Eye & CBC Journal. (2006) 

CBC's Michael Enright and The Sunday Edition Nov 14th, 2010 - Hour Three
take a look at the battle against AIDS in Lesotho