Biomaterial Database

Facilitating support groups for professionals working with people with AIDS. 1993

A H Grossman, and C Silverstein

School of Education, Health, Nursing, and Arts Professions, New York University, NY 10003.

Social workers, nurses, and other health care professionals who work with people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are experiencing burnout from the excessive demands on their energy, strength, and resources. Support groups, with their focus on awareness, shared experiences, supportive and helping relationships, and the emotional consequences of working with people with AIDS, help health care professionals manage stress and enhance their capacity and effectiveness to work with these clients. In addition, support groups help participants feel less isolated and share feelings regarding such difficult issues as death, anger, helplessness, and loss. The use of this type of group work is identified, including its administration, effective intervention techniques, and issues of health care professionals who work with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Problems related to group membership and dropout rates are explored as unresolved issues.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009518	New York	State bounded on the north by Lake Ontario and Canada, on the east by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and on the west by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, and Canada.
D002055	Burnout, Professional	An excessive stress reaction to one's occupational or professional environment. It may be characterized by feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion, coupled with a sense of frustration and failure.	Career Burnout,Occupational Burnout,Burnout, Career,Burnout, Occupational,Professional Burnout
D005260	Female		Females
D006282	Health Personnel	Men and women working in the provision of health services, whether as individual practitioners or employees of health institutions and programs, whether or not professionally trained, and whether or not subject to public regulation. (From A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976)	Health Care Professionals,Health Care Providers,Healthcare Providers,Healthcare Workers,Health Care Professional,Health Care Provider,Healthcare Provider,Healthcare Worker,Personnel, Health,Professional, Health Care,Provider, Health Care,Provider, Healthcare
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000163	Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome	An acquired defect of cellular immunity associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a CD4-positive T-lymphocyte count under 200 cells/microliter or less than 14% of total lymphocytes, and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignant neoplasms. Clinical manifestations also include emaciation (wasting) and dementia. These elements reflect criteria for AIDS as defined by the CDC in 1993.	AIDS,Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immunologic Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndromes,Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Immunodeficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Syndrome, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immunodeficiency
D012944	Social Support	Support systems that provide assistance and encouragement to individuals with physical or emotional disabilities in order that they may better cope. Informal social support is usually provided by friends, relatives, or peers, while formal assistance such as COMMUNITY SUPPORT is provided by churches, groups, etc.	Perceived Social Support,Social Care,Online Social Support,Care, Social,Online Social Supports,Perceived Social Supports,Social Support, Online,Social Support, Perceived,Social Supports, Online,Social Supports, Perceived,Support, Online Social,Support, Perceived Social,Support, Social,Supports, Perceived Social