Promoting the holistic wellbeing of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is a key aspect of their long-term care. A newly published book by authors practising in the UK aims to show how care can be more person-centred and psychologically focused and promote compassion, health and wellbeing. It is billed as an accessible introduction for healthcare professionals who work with PLHIV.
Topics examined include self-awareness in HIV care, attachment theories and communication. The first chapter is entitled “The good, the bad and the ugly: How do people living with HIV experience care in the health system?”. The second deals with “self-awareness in HIV care,” the third with “seeing the whole person,” and the fourth examines the impact of HIV diagnosis on mental health and wellbeing. There is also a chapter on “difficult conversations in HIV care”.
The book also covers as key aspects of providing care for PLHIV, including a framework to guide stigma in interventions in young adults, neurocognitive issues, the sexualised use of drugs (chemsex), multidisciplinary management of neuropathic pain, and the needs of older adults living with HIV.
