Role of HIV serostatus, relationship status of the patient, homophobia, and social desirability of the psychologist on decisions regarding confidentiality
Vj. Keffala et Gl. Stone, Role of HIV serostatus, relationship status of the patient, homophobia, and social desirability of the psychologist on decisions regarding confidentiality, PSYCHOL HEA, 14(4), 1999, pp. 567-584
What factors influence a psychologist's decision to maintain or break confi
dentiality of an HIV-positive patient? Dangerousness (serostatus), identifi
ability (relationship status of patient and third party), homophobia, and i
mpression management were the major factors examined. The sample was compos
ed of 236 psychologists and psychologists in training attending the 1994 Am
erican Psychological Association (APA convention in Los Angeles, California
. They were given 16 scenarios depicting four different situations with pat
ients at various HIV risk levels, and measures determining levels of impres
sion management and homophobia. A majority (51% to 92.2%, depending on the
scenario) of the respondents chose to maintain confidentiality in all scena
rios. Participants were least likely to maintain confidentiality in scenari
os describing a high level of dangerousness and identifiability.