APA Responds to HIV/AIDS

1983

Committee on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues recommends that APA establish a special component on AIDS

APA presents the first workshop on AIDS at the annual meeting

First APPI journal publication, “Psychiatric Aspects of HIV,” in Psychosomatics

1984

APA establishes the Subcommittee on Psychiatric Aspects of AIDS

First AJP article publication: “Psychopathology Complicating Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,” American Journal of Psychiatry

1985

American Psychiatric Press releases its first AIDS monograph,“ Psychiatric Implications of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome”

1986

APA issues its first two AIDS policy statements addressing practice implications and patient discrimination

APA awards its first government contract to provide training to mental health care providers on the psychiatric dimensions of HIV/AIDS

1987

APA establishes the Committee on the Psychiatric Aspects of AIDS

APA adopts AIDS-related policies on confidentiality and disclosure, and on inpatient/outpatient psychiatric units

1988

APA establishes Commission on AIDS, allowing its members to report directly to the Board of Trustees

Commission on AIDS releases its recommendations for a full response to the AIDS epidemic

APA releases the AIDS Primer for psychiatrists and residents, its first comprehensive training manual

APA takes active posture with state licensing boards regarding the importance of treatment and rehabilitation of psychiatrically impaired physicians without threat of license loss

1989

APA and AMA cosponsor an international HIV conference

APA adopts policies on name reporting of HIV-seropositive individuals

APA makes first formal request to outside organizations and committees to increase HIV content in residency curriculum and examinations

1990

APA adopts policies on occupational exposure to HIV and psychiatrists who are HIV infected

APA releases its first videotape addressing HIV-related psychiatric problems and patient stigma

1991

APA establishes the Office of HIV Psychiatry

1992

APA sponsors its first Pan American conference on AIDS

1993

APA collaborates with NAMI to produce HIV videotape addressing the needs of people living with HIV and mentall illness

APA adopts policies on psychiatric hospitalization of children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS

1996

APA adopts policies on vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child

APA awarded contract to establish a searchable database for tracking and maintaining AIDS resources

1997

APA adopts policies on HIV-related neuropsychiatric findings and associated impairments and on needle exchange

1998

APA adopts policies on HIV antibody testing and management of HIV-related neuropsychiatric conditions

1999

APA releases its first HIV residency training curriculum, distributed nationwide

APA announces the availability of online AIDS resource center

2000

APA awarded subcontract to develop the first HIV neuropsychiatric curriculum for nonphysicians

APA releases “Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with HIV/AIDS”

2001

APA offers online HIV CME course

2003

APA offers first medical student senior elective in HIV psychiatry

APA offers its first HIV training using distant-learning technology

APA awarded subcontract to train minority community-based organizations

2004

APA awarded sixth contract to conduct HIV/AIDS trainings and develop clinical resources

APA adopts policy on hepatitis C coinfection

2005

APA presents to the Presidents Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and testifies at Senate hearings

2006

APA awarded funding to train primary care clinicians as HIV trainers

To date APA has trained nearly 30,000 psychiatrists, residents, and mental health clinicians in HIV/AIDS