title: Personal meaning as a predictor of psychological well-being over time in individuals receiving HIV-related mental health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the utility of personal meaning as a resilience variable in predicting psychological well-being over time in individuals enrolled in an HIV-related mental health services program. It was hypothesized that meaning assessed at the time of enrollment for mental health services would significantly predict well-being at the 3-month follow-up visit. A secondary hypothesis was that meaning would predict well-being in a model that also included social support as a predictor variable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed self-report measures of psychological well-being, personal meaning and social support at the time of their initial mental health services visit. Well-being was measured again at the time of the 3-month follow-up visit. Regression methods were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Personal meaning assessed at the baseline visit was predictive of psychological well-being assessed at the 3-month follow-up visit when baseline well-being was controlled. Additionally, social support mediated the association between personal meaning and psychological well-being at the 3-month follow-up visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing personal meaning as a resilience variable in this clinical psychiatric sample of individuals enrolled in an HIV mental health services program was useful in predicting psychological well-being over time.
authors.affiliation: Grady Infectious Disease Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA. efarber@emory.edu
authors.forename: Eugene W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Regina M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Sanjay M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult