title: Mental Health Experiences of Older Adults Living with HIV: Uncertainty, Stigma, and Approaches to Resilience.
abstract: This study describes the mental health experiences of older adults living with HIV in Ottawa. Eleven participants aged 52 to 67 completed in-depth personal interviews. Mental health concerns pervaded the lives of these older adults. We identified three central themes common to the participants' stories: uncertainty, stigma, and resilience. For some of these participants, uncertainty impacting mental health centred on unexpected survival; interpretation of one's symptoms; and medical uncertainty. Participants' experiences of stigma included discrimination in health care interactions; misinformation; feeling stigmatized due to aspects of their physical appearance; compounded stigma; and anticipated stigma. Participants reported using several coping strategies, which we frame as individual approaches to resilience. These strategies include reducing the space that HIV takes up in one's life; making lifestyle changes to accommodate one's illness; and engaging with social support. These findings inform understandings of services for people aging with HIV who may experience mental health concerns.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work at McMaster University.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furlotte
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work at Carleton University.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D057566:Self Report; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: HIV/AIDS; aging; la recherche sur le VIH/qualitative; la résilience; la santé mentale; le vieillissement; mental health; qualitative research; resilience