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With the number of people infected by HIV continuing to rise, the need for the latest information on the psychiatric aspects of HIV/AIDS is still strong. APA's annual meeting will once again offer attendees a range of sessions to ensure their knowledge and skills in this area remain up to date. The location for these sessions will be published in the program book distributed to registrants in Toronto.
Sunday, May 31
12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Residency Training Program
This session will offer residents practical information on neuropsychiatric complications of AIDS and treatment to use on the front lines of HIV/AIDS clinical care. The program will begin with an overview of the resident's role in the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and issues they are likely to encounter in the future. This will be followed by two cases. Box lunch is provided. Preregistration is required; call (202) 682-6163.
Monday, June 1
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Workshop: "New and Alternative Treatments in HIV Care"
Many patients who are HIV positive look to all kinds of treatment options-conventional and unconventional. Panelists will examine new and alternative treatment therapies, discuss the problems and potential benefits, and provide practical guidelines for counseling patients on treatment options. The workshop is sponsored by APA's Commission on AIDS.
Tuesday, June 2
9 a.m.-Noon AIDS Education Program, Part 1
Approximately 50 percent to 70 percent of HIV-infected individuals experience CNS complications within three to six weeks of infection, and by the time of death, almost 90 percent have experienced neuropsychiatric complications. This session will provide an overview of neuropsychiatric consequences associated with HIV and a review of psychopharmacologic interventions.
Wednesday, June 3
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Discussion Group: "Substance Use Disease and HIV Infection in 1998: Where Are We With Prevention and Treatment?"
This session is cosponsored by APA's Council on Addiction and the National Institute on Drug Abuse and will be led by Stephen Ferrando, M.D.
9 a.m.-Noon AIDS Education Program, Part 2
The rate of death among men has decreased by 15 percent but has risen 3 percent among women. AIDS is now the leading cause of death among African-American women aged 25 to 44. Panelists will address the shifting demographics of HIV infection and problems arising from the populations affected by the epidemic, including women, children and adolescents, and disadvantaged minority members. Other topics include factors that affect risk for contracting HIV, the experience of the illness itself, and effective approaches to treatment.
Thursday, June 4
9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Clinical Case Conference: "Psychotherapy With Persons With HIV"
Protease inhibitors are the powerful medications referred to as the key ingredient of the new "drug cocktails." While they have reduced AIDS-related mortality and tamed the level of virus in patients, they are wildly expensive-about $18,000 a year. Thus, many patients do not adhere to strict dosing levels, and many others are devastated when they cannot tolerate the side effects or are denied access to the drugs. This session will examine the spectrum of issues that arise in psychotherapeutic work with HIV patients in the age of these new treatments.