Coping Strategies Among Brazilian Pregnant Women Living With HIV

• Published in: Paidéia cadernos de Psicologia e Educação 2014-04, Vol.24 (57), p.67-74
• Main Authors: Faria, Evelise Rigoni de, Gonçalves, Tonantzin Ribeiro, Carvalho, Fernanda Torres de, Lopes, Rita de Cássia Sobreira, Piccinini, Cesar Augusto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Child Development; Coping; Cultural Context; Depression (Psychology); Disease transmission; embarazo; enfrentamento; Females; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Literature Reviews; Males; Mental Health; Mortality; Physical Health; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; PSYCHOLOGY; PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL; PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; Quality of Life; Resistance (Psychology); Stress; VIH; Womens health
• ISSN: 0103-863X; 1982-4327; 0103-863X; 1982-4327
• DOI: 10.1590/1982-43272457201409

Pregnant women living with HIV (PWLH) face tremendous challenges in order to prevent their babies’ infection. Coping is a potential buffer against negative outcomes from these challenges. This study aims to describe coping strategies of PWLH. This cross-sectional survey involved 77 PWLH from a public health care center in Brazil. Coping was measured for three types of strategies: Problem-focused, Emotion-focused, and Relationship support. Multivariate analyses identified some coping predictors. Being employed, reporting religious practice and higher CD4/immunity were associated with Problem-focused coping. Lower educational level was associated with Emotion-focused strategies. Relationship support strategies were more likely to be reported by PWLH who had good social support, who had disclosed HIV status to the baby’s father, and who knew their infection before pregnancy. Findings underline the need for HIV interventions focused on social support and participation by the baby’s father, with particular attention to those PWLH who were recently diagnosed and economically vulnerable. Embarazadas VIH-positivo experimentan desafíos en la prevención de la infección del bebés, y las estrategias del enfrentamiento son facilitadores de este proceso. El objetivo del estudio transversal es describir las estrategias de enfrentamiento del 77 embarazadas VIH-positivo en un servicio de salud Brasileño. Se evaluó las estrategias centradas en lo Problema, en la Emoción, y en la Búsqueda del Apoyo Social. Análisis multivariado identificaron predictores de estas estrategias. Empleo, práctica religiosa y mejor CD4/imunidade se asocian con estrategias centradas en lo problema, y menos educación, con estrategias centradas en la emoción. Búsqueda del apoyo social se asoció con disponibilidad del apoyo, revelación del VIH para el padre del bebé y conocimiento del diagnóstico antes del embarazo. Intervenciones dirigidas para el apoyo social y la participación del padre del bebé al cuidado de estas madres se hacen necesarias, con especial atención a las embarazadas con diagnóstico reciente y en desvantaja económica. Gestantes HIV-positivo vivenciam grandes desafios na prevenção da infecção de seus bebês, sendo as estratégias de enfrentamento possíveis facilitadores desse processo. Este estudo transversal objetivou identificar estratégias de enfrentamento de 77 gestantes HIV-positivo inseridas em um serviço de saúde pública do Brasil. Enfrentamento foi avaliado considerando-se três