Occasionally, a fatal disease is known by the general public according to how it kills, sometimes it is known by who it kills, but rarely is it known as something that strikes terror throughout every segment of society. Yet, such is the case with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The mention of AIDS causes people to draw back in fear; it has the emotional impact of a modern-day black plague. AIDS has become a psychological emergency.This article will summarize what is currently known or assumed about AIDS as a disease entity, what assumptions and findings are guiding research, what problems have hampered that research, and the role of psychological factors in each of these efforts. Perhaps a reasonable summary of facts will help dispel the myths that plague scientific investigation, medical practice, and the life and death of virtually every person with AIDS.
Psychologists have been attempting to gain a greater voice in the actions and policies of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH)for more than 10 years. This article outlines the formal and informal attempts that have been made during that period to remove barriers to the hospital practice of psychology. Included are discussions of direct interactions with the Joint Commission itself, state legislative efforts, the Ohio Attorney General's antitrust suit against the JCAH, and the Federal Trade Commissions proposed investigation. Attempts to make the JCAH responsive to psychology's concerns are chronicled. The gradual changes in JCAH policies, and suggestions of future changes, are presented.
AIDS is caused by a virus, but clearly it is indirectly being spread by fear, denial, and prejudice. Understanding the mechanisms of infection by the AIDS virus is vital to overcoming irrational fears of casual contagion. Understanding the epidemiology of AIDS is vital to overcoming long-seated prejudice against the individuals whose behavior puts them most at risk. Understanding the immune system is vital to designing effective prevention programs. These areas of AIDS science and the limits of current science are discussed. Suggestions about future knowledge are given. Clearly, more knowledge, more compassion, more involvement, and more research are necessary.
Unbeknownst to many, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently survived the most intense and best financed assault on antitrust authority in the nation's history. Led by the American Medical Association (AMA) and its considerable financial resources, this congressional assault was intended to exempt all state-credentialed professions from the purview of the FTC. While at first glance the AMA position might appear to be a boon for psychologists annoyed with governmental intrusion into their professional and financial practices, a broader and more intense examination of the issues involved reveals a dangerous threat to the future of psychological practice. We will outline that threat, why it is being made, and why psychologists should support the Federal Trade Commission's continued jurisdiction over the professions.
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