[Physicians' attitudes of relations with AIDS, cancer and metabolic patients: core conflictual relationship theme and...

With this comes the question: Are there typical relationship patterns and affects, that appear in physicians experience of their relationships to patients with different illnesses? We asked 33 physicians about impressive experiences with one AIDS-, one cancer- and one metabolic disorder patient each. The narratives we received were evaluated with two contentanalytic methods. The relationship patterns were assessed by the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT), developed by Luborsky. The affects were assessed by the Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis Scales. We found some significant differences between the relationship experience with AIDS- and cancer patients on the one hand, and metabolic disorder patients on the other hand. In relationships with critical ill AIDS- and cancer patients the physicians verbalize more death anxiety and more diffuse or nonspecific anxiety. Furthermore they show more covert hostility against the AIDS- and cancer patient, whereas they verbalize more overt hostility against the metabolic disorder patients. We found also some fine distinction between the relationship experiences with AIDS-patients on the one hand and cancer patients on the other hand. The physicians get more involved with the relationships to AIDS-patients and the closeness-distance-regulation seems to be one central issue in this relationships.