AIDS Patients' Needs for Psychosocial Services and Their Use of Community Service Organizations

This article assesses the needs of AIDS patients for psychosocial services, the extent of their use of such services, and the level of their satisfaction with services received from community-based service organizations. Most subjects were male AlDS patients who were receiving services from one of two organizations in the Los Angeles area. Patients expressed the need for many kinds of services, including those that provide medical information, medical referrals, and practical help as well as support groups and individual therapy. Although most patients were satisfied with the services they had used, they were most satisfied with individual therapy and with services that provided transportation, food, and clothing. The results of this study made it clear that community organizations which serve AlDS patients should provide a wide range of psychosocial services.