Previous studies have determined that health care providers who specialize in AIDS care are particularly susceptible to work-related stress and resulting burnout. This qualitative study derived themes from interviews with three occupational therapists in order to examine these findings. Ultimately, stress and burnout were not dominant themes in the interviews. Instead, the prominent themes were Loss; death and dying; boundaries, connecting, and empathy; education; and coping strategies. An accepting attitude toward diversity coupled with the use of both individual and institutional stress management techniques modulated stress and prevented burnout among the study participants.

Keywords:
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, burnout, stress, coping behavior, empathy
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Copyright © 1997 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
1997
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