title: An assessment of self-esteem in HIV-positive patients.
abstract: The objective of this research is to assess how self-esteem levels differ in HIV-infected subjects in three different risk behaviours: drug addicts, homosexuals, heterosexuals. The sample (n = 104) consisted of: drug addicts (n = 46); homosexual (n = 26); heterosexuals (n = 32). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) were used. A covariance analysis was used to assess the effect of the different personality traits on the 'self-esteem variable' and to eliminate the variance caused by the personality variables. Bonferroni's T-test was used to assess which group contributed to confute the hypothesis of equivalence between the RSES means of the groups. A significant association between the HIV-infection risk behaviour and the level of self-esteem was shown; this association was assessed by eliminating the effect of personality traits. The risk behaviour as well as the personality traits were both indicative of the level of self-esteem. The assessment of each group revealed that the drug addicts had a relatively lower self-esteem level (mean = 35.251) than the homosexuals (mean = 38.698) and the heterosexuals (mean = 38.227). In conclusion the RSES enables clinicians to identify subjects with low levels of self-esteem who need to be psychologically assessed within a vast population of HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychic Sciences, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Visintini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campanini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novella
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maffei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology