PSYCHOSOCIAL PROCESSES AS COFACTORS IN AIDS

本研究的总体目标是探讨心理社会 过程作为可能的辅助因素在发展中获得的 免疫缺陷综合征（艾滋病）的危险人群。 的 具体目标是：1）了解个人如何评价， 在情感上应对和科普艾滋病的风险， 2)以确定特定的心理反应， 与艾滋病相关的做法是降低艾滋病风险 行为，3）以确定是否特定的心理反应， 艾滋病的风险与免疫系统的变化有关。 系统（辅助/诱导T细胞水平快速降低， 改变对艾滋病病毒的免疫反应）， 艾滋病的可能性和4）确定是否暴露于 紧张的生活状况和特殊的心理反应， 这些情况与免疫变化有关， 增加患艾滋病的可能性。 1500名健康的同性恋男性现在正在参加 多中心艾滋病合作研究（MACS） 这些人 每六个月检查一次艾滋病的迹象和症状 和艾滋病相关复合物（ARC）， 人类免疫缺陷病毒（艾滋病毒）、样本收集和 T细胞亚群的测定，以及关于 艾滋病发展中的潜在辅助因子。 拟议 研究将增加心理社会问卷评估 因素（评估和应对艾滋病风险，其他生活压力， 情感、社会支持、个人资源）对考试的影响 每半年 200名受试者的子样本将 参加每个MACS的心理评估面试 检查，以更全面地评估情绪反应和应对 与艾滋病风险和其他压力有关的策略 situations. 强化免疫学评估将 在这个子样本中进行。 数据分析将确定心理因素是否 预测HIV血清阳性者的降低风险行为的实践 和血清阴性受试者。 在艾滋病毒血清反应阳性者中，数据 分析将确定是否心理社会因素， 结合其他可能的辅因子，预测 随着时间的推移和ARC的发展， 艾滋病

The overall objective of this study is to explore psychosocial processes as possible cofactors in the development of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in an at-risk population. The specific objectives are: 1) to understand how individuals appraise, respond emotionally to and cope with the risk of developing AIDS, 2) to determine if particular psychological responses to the risk of AIDS are associated with the practice of AIDS risk-reducing behaviors, 3) to determine if particular psychological responses to the risk of AIDS are associated with changes in the immune system (rapid reductions in helper/inducer T cell levels, and altered immune response to the AIDS virus) and increased likelihood of developing AIDS and 4) to determine if exposure to stressful life situations and particular psychological responses to these situations, are associated with immune changes and increased likelihood of developing AIDS. Fifteen hundred healthy homosexual men are now participating in the Multi-Center AIDS Cooperative Study (MACS). These men are examined every six months for signs and symptoms of AIDS and the AIDS-Related Complex (ARC), seropositivity for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), specimen collection and assay of T cell sub-populations, and the gathering of data on potential cofactors in the development of AIDS. The proposed study will add the questionnaire assessment of psychosocial factors (appraisal and response to AIDS risk, other life stress, affect, social support, personal resources) to the examination every six months. A sub-sample of two hundred subjects will participate in a psychological assessment interview at each MACS examination to assess more fully emotional responses and coping strategies used in relation to the AIDS risk and other stressful situations. Intensive immunological assessments will be conducted on this sub-sample. Data analyses will determine whether psychological factors predict the practice of risk-reducing behaviors in HIV seropositive and seronegative subjects. In HIV seropositive individuals, data analyses will determine whether psychosocial factors, in conjunction with other possible cofactors, predict changes in immune response over time and the development of ARC and AIDS.