AIDS panic: effects of mass media publicity

Twenty-four patients with AIDS panic, who presented to the psychiatric services between 1983 and 1986, were assessed on various clinical rating scales. The severity of clinical symptoms was estimated by adding together the total scores on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety. The level of mass media publicity about AIDS was calculated by counting the number of major reports about the disease in national and local newspapers and on television. The findings suggested that, contrary to expectations, the referral rates of AIDS panic cases were highest in the earlier months when the level of media activity was low and decreased during the months following intense publicity about AIDS. Patients who presented in the later stages also showed fewer anxiety symptoms.