Self-appraised health, HIV infection, and depression in female clients of AIDS counseling centers.
The development of effective coping strategies may require that women and men with HIV have an accurate, and to the greatest extent possible, positive, perception of their own health status. This has been found to be lacking among HIV-infected persons with limited education/information, including many minority adults. The objective of this study is to test several hypotheses that predict depression and perceived health in female adults with HIV. Data were obtained from 103 HIV-infected women (age > or = 18) who sought support, counseling, and maintenance services from one of four HIV care and referral centers in the mid-South. The results emphasize that perceived health status may fulfill a psychological distress-moderating or distress-aggravating function for women with HIV/AIDS.
Linn
J G
JG
School of Nursing, Tennessee State University, USA.
Anema
M G
MG
Estrada
J J
JJ
Cain
V A
VA
Sharpe
C P
CP
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003376:Counseling; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires