Milieu complications of the psychiatric inpatient treatment of the AIDS patient.

The authors anticipate that an increasing number of AIDS victims will be admitted to psychiatric inpatient units. The turmoil caused by the first AIDS patient admitted to the authors' psychiatric unit is described. The authors then discuss staff difficulties from the perspective of the forces unique to this inpatient unit and from the perspective of the group defenses that such a patient mobilizes in any setting. Recommendations are made for a flexible yet authoritarian leadership style when coordinating care for a patient who provokes so much staff anxiety.