HIV Multiple Bereavement Syndrome essays

HIV Multiple Bereavement Syndrome essays HIV/AIDS and Multiple Bereavement: Is the psychological impact of multiple loss intensified by social factors? The advent of AIDS has created a new population of people who suffer multiple bereavements as well as threats to their own lives. (Murray-Parkes, 1998, p. xii) The populations most affected by HIV/AIDS live in two geographical locations: the USA and Africa (WHO, 1998) . In 1997 four million people in the Sub-Saharan Africa were newly reported as having seropositive status (WHO, 1998). In North America this figure was 44 thousand (WHO, 1998). Seropositive rates among Gay men in New York City are reported at 36 to 67% (Dean L, 1995). Infection rates amongst young, urban males in Uganda range from 20 to 30% (Seeley With these high figures and similar infection rates among males in mind, this essay will discuss the relationship between social factors and the psychological impact of multiple loss in an international context. The evidence I have considered principally comes from Uganda and the USA which will allow me to evaluate the commonality of experience and the usefulness of theories on multiple loss in differing cultural and economic situations. The impact of the HIV virus is such that it creates ...a cycle of never ending perpetual grieving for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS and the professionals who care for them.' (Cho Cho Discussing this issue Ankrah (1991) and Seeley & Kajura (1995) suggest that young people may have become habituated to mul...