Open AccessPsychological care for HIV-infected patientsat the St. Petersburg AIDS Center: history and the present time
Author(s) -
О. В. Кольцова
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
žurnal infektologii
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2499-9865
pISSN - 2072-6732
DOI - 10.22625/2072-6732-2021-13-4-121-126
Subject(s) - disease , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , pharmacotherapy , psychiatry , st petersburg , psychology , psychotherapist , family medicine , pathology , metropolitan area
The psychological state of people living with HIV is suffering from the moment when the diagnosis of HIV infection is perceived to the onset of remission during treatment. To achieve real effectiveness of HIV treatment, it is important to use not only the potential of modern pharmacotherapy, it is equally important that all people living with HIV receive psychological support in overcoming the difficulties arising from daily regular intake of drugs throughout their lives. Psychologists who are working at the AIDS Center are ready and conduct crisis counseling, extended counseling on adherence to treatment, psychological diagnostics to identify disorders which prevent the initiation and continuation of drug therapy, psychological correction in case of treatment interruptions. The use of traditional psychological methods should be based on knowledge of the characteristics of the disease and the specific treatment of HIV-infected people, which is currently being acquired in real clinical conditions. The article summarizes the many years of experience of the team of psychologists at the St. Petersburg AIDS Center and presents a model of modern psychological care for HIV-infected people based on knowledge of the characteristics of the disease, its prevention and specific treatment.