FEAR OF CONTAGION - A RESPONSE TO STRESS

Most of the research on nurses' responses to people affected by AIDS h as comprised atheoretical surveys or cross-sectional correlation studi es. A decade ago, Meisenhelder and LaCharite were among the first to p ropose a theoretical explanation for these responses, including implic ations for altering them. They posited that ''fear of contagion [is] a n affective response of the stress-coping process... [and] highlighted origins of the fear, behavioral manifestations, and avenues for explo ration to decrease this perceived threat.'' (1(p29))This article reexa mines the interpretation of the empirical data on which their proposit ion rested, places that data in the context of other research about th e nurses' AIDS-care attitudes, including Meisenhelder's own subsequent research, and discusses the model's utility for anticipating and infl uencing nurses' behavioral response to HIV-affected populations.