Antiretroviral combination therapy (ACT) has resulted in many changes in the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS, and most importantly, there has been a sharp decline in AIDS-related mortality. Yet, not everyone responds equally well to the lastest medical treatments and people continue to die from AIDS-related causes. Just as we need to help people cope with the challenges of extended survival, attention must also be focused on the needs of those who for whatever reason, do not respond to these treatments. The concept of AIDS-related grief is well-known. In this presentation, AIDS-related grief will be re-examined in the context of treatment advances. The following areas will be covered: (1) the impact of treatment advances in terms of loss, grief, and survival. (2) the conceptualization of AIDS as a prolonged illness; (3) how to help clients, family members, and caregivers deal with treatment failure, loss and grief when everyone is supposed to be celebrating improved health; (4) the experience of AIDS-related grief before the era of ACT; (5) new issues facing those dealing with AIDS loss and grief; (6) recommendations for future research and clinical practice relating to coping with AIDS as a prolonged illness and coping with treatment failure, loss and grief in a changing context.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Identify five major issues confronting people with AIDS and their caregivers in the era of antiretroviral combination therapy. 2. Articulate the psychological implications of treatment failure on clients, significant others, and professional caregivers. 3. Recognize that people with AIDS (even those who respond to treatment) grieve losses and how to help them. 4. Recognize that people with AIDS are still dying. 5. Discuss the issue of AIDS-related grief in an era where deaths are declining. 6. Describe how AIDS-related grief is different now than from the past (from both client and professional caregiver perspectives) 7. List ways to help clients and their significant others cope with AIDS-related grief in these changing times
Keywords: Coping, Antiretroviral Combination Therapy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.