PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG GAY MEN SUPPORTING A LOVER OR PARTNER WITH AIDS - A PILOT-STUDY

To date, there has been little research to examine how much psychologi cal distress is caused to people providing cave and support to a lover or partner with AIDS. This study aimed to determine the level of psyc hological distress experienced by a sample of gay men providing care a nd support to a lover or partner with AIDS. It was conducted as a cros s-sectional questionnaire survey. A control group was not enlisted, th us the study was descriptive in nature. The experimental hypothesis pr oposed 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 part ner with an AIDS diagnosis were assessed using a self-report questionn aire. The 28-item General Health Questionnaire was used as a measure o f global psychological distress. In addition, Martin's (1988) Traumati c Stress Response Scale was used as a measure of psychological distres s arising specifically from AIDS. The sample reported high levels of g lobal and AIDS-specific psychological distress. The levels of distress reported were of such a degree to indicate that the majority of the s ample were probably suffering from significant psychiatric problems. T he 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 ps ychological health: however, because of the design of the study it is impossible to state this conclusively.