title: Relationship of resources to emotional distress, somatic complaints, and high-risk behaviors in drug recovery and homeless minority women.
abstract: In a sample of 581 homeless or drug-abusing minority women, the relationship of self-esteem, sense of coherence, and support availability to emotional distress, somatic complaints, and high-risk behavior were investigated. Findings revealed that women who were high in self-esteem and stronger in sense of coherence reported significantly less emotional distress, and significantly fewer high-risk behaviors. In addition, women who were high in any of the three resources reported lower somatic complaints. Regression analyses revealed that coherence, self-esteem and support availability jointly accounted for 49% of the variance in emotional distress, 10% of the variance in high-risk activities, and 26% of the variance in somatic complaints. Implications for empowering women at risk for HIV infection are discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles 90024-6918.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nyamathi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires