THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON STAFF OF CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS DISEASES - THE CASE OF HIV-INFECTION AND ONCOLOGY

Psychological stress and work-related burnout in staff working with AI DS and with cancer patients were compared using a self-report method o f assessment. Measures included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) , Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Social Adjustment Scale (SA S-M). More than 80% of those staff who were approached responded to th e questionnaire, including 70 doctors and nurses working with people w ith AIDS and 41 doctors and nurses working in oncology. More than a th ird of staff had substantial levels of psychological morbidity, and ab out a fifth had significant levels of work-related stress. Factors ass ociated with the presence of high levers of psychological morbidity an d with abnormal levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and concerns about personal accomplishment were identified. Staff describ ed the work situations with which they had difficulty dealing and some of the coping strategies they used. The findings confirm that staff w orking with people with cancer or AIDS experience psychological diffic ulties of the kind likely to respond to interventions aimed at improvi ng their ability to cope with work-related stresses. The mental health services could play an important role in carrying out research in thi s held and in providing practical help to deal with staff's difficulti es.