title: Patterns of risk of depressive symptoms among HIV-positive women in the southeastern United States.
abstract: Depressive symptoms are a common response to HIV disease, and women appear to be at particularly high risk. The authors report results from a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 280 rural women with HIV/AIDS in the Southeastern United States aimed at identifying risk factors of depressive symptoms. Stress theory provided a framework for identification of potential risk factors. Descriptive statistics, measures of association, and regression analyses were used to systematically identify patterns of risk. The final regression model included 22 factors that accounted for 69% of the variance in depressive symptoms. The majority of variance in depressive symptoms was accounted for by only six variables: the frequency of HIV symptoms, recent experiences of sadness/hopelessness, the availability of social support, and the use of three coping strategies: living positively with HIV, isolation/withdrawal, and denial/avoidance. The results suggest a number of intervention strategies for use with rural women with HIV/AIDS.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moneyham
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murdaugh
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Kirby
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavakoli
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Medha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vyavaharkar
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*