title: Resilience processes demonstrated by young gay and bisexual men living with HIV: implications for intervention.
abstract: Given the increasing numbers of young gay/bisexual men (YGBM) diagnosed with HIV, it is important to understand the resilience processes enacted by this population in order to develop interventions that support their healthy development. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 54 YGBM (ages 17 to 24; 57% African American, 22% Latino) living with HIV from four geographically diverse clinics in the United States. Resilience processes clustered into four primary thematic areas: (1) engaging in health-promoting cognitive processes; (2) enacting healthy behavioral practices; (3) enlisting social support from others; and (4) empowering other young gay/bisexual men. These data suggest that YGBM living with HIV demonstrate resilience across multiple dimensions, including intrapersonal-level resilience related to individual cognitions and behaviors, as well as interpersonal-level resilience related to seeking support and providing support to others. Implications for the development of culturally-appropriate and strengths-based secondary prevention and other psychosocial interventions for YGBM living with HIV are discussed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: Sybil G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hosek
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Rood
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult