Group composition and its impact on effective group treatment of HIV and AIDS patients

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on group therapy in the treatment of people with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Specifically, it examines the effect of group composition on the curative factors of group therapy. The variables of group composition explored are stage of illness, risk group for contracting HIV, and gender. This paper suggests that support groups that are homogeneous for stage of illness, risk behaviors, and gender provide members with the greatest benefits through facilitating the curative factors of group therapy: instillation of hope, universality, and group cohesion. © 1995 Plenum Publishing Corporation.