Depression and AIDS

This study was an investigation into the clinical judgments made by counseling psychologists when faced with a patient who had major depression and AIDS. Two hundred and eighty one counseling psychologists evaluated one of four vignettes depicting an individual with major depression. In three of the vignettes the individual also had AIDS but the vignette varied on how the virus was contracted (unprotected gay sex, IV drug abuse, hemophilia). In the fourth vignette (the control group) the individual did not have AIDS. Results of the study suggested, that the presence of AIDS overshadows the evaluation and treatment decisions made by counseling psychologists when their patient has major depression and AIDS. Three factors-counseling psychologists' general experience with people who have AIDS, their clinical experience with AIDS patients and how the AIDS virus was contracted-were investigated for possible moderating effects of the overshadowing bias. How the AIDS virus was contracted was used as an indirect measure of clinician attitude toward people with AIDS. Neither general or clinical experience with AIDS patients appeared to have an effect on the diagnostic or treatment decisions made by counseling psychologists when evaluating depressed patients with AIDS. As with experience, method of contracting the AIDS virus did not have a moderating effect on the overshadowing bias. Implications of these results for the evaluation and treatment of depression in AIDS patients, as well as future research are discussed.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance ServicesThesis (Ph. D.