Stress and coping in caregiving partners of men with AIDS.

HIV disease presents profound challenges to primary caregivers including adjusting to the care recipient's disease progression, having increasing responsibilities for decision making as the disease progresses, responding to unexpected improvement, having to deal with a virtually uncontrollable disease, and managing role conflict and fatigue. Caregivers who are themselves infected with HIV face additional challenges. Caregiving partners of men with AIDS have high levels of dysphoric mood but, at the same time, they report levels of positive morale that are comparable to community norms. Caregivers sustain positive morale by deriving meaning from their caregiving. Health professionals are in a good position to support caregivers and, thereby, help their patients.