The effect of perceived and actual social support on the mental health of HIV-positive persons.
The purpose of this paper is to compare the ways in which perceived and actual social support affect the mental health of gay men, straight or bisexual men, and women living with HIV/AIDS. Participants included 125 women and 232 men with an HIV-positive or AIDS diagnosis involved in three larger investigations of HIV, disclosure and mental health. Results suggest each sub-group experienced perceived social support as significantly predictive of better mental health while the effect of actual social support was minimal.
McDowell
T L
TL
Department of Human Development and Family Science, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA. McDowell.100@osu.edu
Serovich
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001727:Bisexuality; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D020010:Heterosexuality; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological