英文摘要 |
The purpose of this study was to understand the psychological progress and coping behaviors for AIDS patients during the diagnostic phase. A phenomenological design was used. The study framework was based on Denzin's interpretive interactionism. In-depth interviews and observation were used to collect data from sixteen patients during their outpatient visits or during their hospitalization at a southern medical center in Taiwan. Patients retrospectively recalled their psychological progress and coping behaviors. The inter-rater reliability was 95.5%; intra-rater reliability was 94.5%. Results showed that the psychological progress was divided into two stages: a disorderly stage with negative progress and a life orderly stage. Coping behaviors included passive avoidance and active life moving on. Once AIDS patients developed positive coping behaviors, they moved from the disorderly stage to the life orderly stage within three months of diagnosis. Findings suggest that it is important to understand the psychological progress and coping behaviors for AIDS patients during the diagnostic stage and to assist them to use appropriate coping behaviors. By so doing, AIDS patients in the diagnostic stage can pass smoothly from the disorderly stage with negative progress to the life orderly stage. |