Fighting the Fear of Infectious Diseases

Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition, February 6, 1999

Infectious disease research and psychiatry may seem unrelated at first glance. However, the brain itself can be affected by infections, and epidemics have the power to throw people into panic. In this sense, the two fields are not entirely disconnected.

There was once a time when syphilis testing was mandatory for all psychiatric hospital admissions. Now that syphilis has been largely conquered, attention has shifted to AIDS-related dementia. Even in the field of psychiatry, the fear of infectious diseases must be reconsidered.

Humankind believed it had steadily conquered infectious diseases through science. Yet, toward the end of the 20th century, we found ourselves under counterattack by viruses and bacteria, facing what seems like a full-blown infectious disease panic. Medical advancements have been remarkable—even reaching the point of gene therapy—but we are still far from overcoming epidemics.

There have been many films portraying the panic surrounding AIDS. And the Band Played On (1993) is a documentary-style film that, true to its subtitle, “And then the AIDS epidemic spread,” depicts the delayed response by the government and blood product manufacturers. The fierce competition between Dr. Robert Gallo of the U.S. and Dr. Luc Montagnier of France over the discovery of the AIDS virus is also skillfully portrayed.

In Philadelphia (1993), Tom Hanks plays a lawyer who is dismissed from his law firm after contracting AIDS and subsequently takes legal action against them. The film reveals how those in the legal profession—who should be protectors of the law—bend the rules to shun AIDS, exposing the severe discrimination faced by people with AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community.

When AIDS caused public turmoil following its transmission through blood products, a patient with schizophrenia once said to me, “I used to think my illness was the hardest thing in the world. But compared to AIDS, maybe it's not so bad.” I was struck by those words.

Diseases that are both hard to treat and contagious tend to be especially feared. Those suffering from AIDS confront both the fear of death and the anguish of prejudice and discrimination. Psychotherapists continue to offer them patient and persistent support. Yet, though the soul may be healed, the harsh reality remains that the body cannot always be saved.