Abstract

FLORES, Carolina Aita. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and the psychological treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS. Rev. bras.ter. cogn. [online]. 2012, vol.8, n.1, pp. 55-60. ISSN 1808-5687.

With the discovery of antiretroviral medications, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was no longer classified as a terminal disease, but seen as a chronic disease. This led to an augmentation of life for people infected with the virus, and, as a consequence, more investigations towards quality of life for these people. The infection with HIV by itself does not cause psychological symptoms, but can lead to significant psychological problems. Since the development of Beck's cognitive-behavior therapy, this method was adapted for a diverse set of populations, with different disorders or emotional problems. Due to its wide and flexible nature, this approach can be easily adapted to the particularities of the population suffering from HIV. In addition to the practical characteristics of cognitive-behavior therapy, another aspect that can help to treat people with HIV is recognizing their way of thinking as a key-factor in the emergence of emotions and behaviors. The cognitive-behavior therapy can contribute to the psychological treatment of seropositive people, as well as in helping them ameliorate their adaptation to and acceptance of the disease.

Keywords : cognitive therapy; human immunodeficiency virus; psychological aspects.

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