title: Self-reported health in HIV-positive African American women: the role of family stress and depressive symptoms.
abstract: This prospective study examined the association between stressful life events and self-reported health in 72 inner-city, low-income African American women with HIV. Depressive symptoms were examined as a potential mediator of this association. Findings indicated that family stressors predicted deterioration in self-reported health status over the 15-month assessment period. Additionally, the association between family stress and self-reported physical health was mediated by depressive symptoms such that the strength of the association between family stress and self-reported health was no longer statistically significant after depressive symptoms were entered in the model. This study suggests a potentially important target for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of life of women with HIV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Life Sciences Building, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA. deborah.jones@mail.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.forename: Rex
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forehand
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014505:Urban Population; D001741:Black or African American