A telephone support group intervention for non-HIV-infected fathers of HIV-infected children.

Fathers of HIV-infected children are rarely targeted as a group for specific psychosocial support and intervention. This paper is intended to provide an in-depth case description of a specific telephone group intervention and its percieved effectiveness by group members. Themes covered during the group intervention included diagnosis disclosure, coping, relationship issues, stigma, need for social and concrete support, medical care, and losses. The group was percieved to be effective in bringing together fathers of HIV-infected children. The fathers came from geographically diverse regions and without the group they might not have the opportunity to talk openly with others. All of the participants believed the group to be a valuable resource and would recommend it to others. The findings suggest that this is a cost-effective intervention that provides support to people who are either geographically distanced from each other or who are not emotionally ready to participate in a face-to-face support group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]