The association of benefit finding to psychosocial and health behavior adaptation among HIV+ men and women

• Published in: Journal of behavioral medicine 2008-04, Vol.31 (2), p.145-155
• Main Authors: Littlewood, Rae A., Vanable, Peter A., Carey, Michael P., Blair, Donald C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adaptation; Adaptation, Psychological; Addictive behaviors; Adherence; Adjustment; Adolescent; AIDS; Alcohol use; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Drug use; Exercise; Family Medicine; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General Practice; Health Behavior; Health behaviour; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Illnesses; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Patient compliance; Psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychosocial adjustment; Social Behavior; Social Support; Substance abuse; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Womens health
• ISSN: 0160-7715; 1573-3521
• DOI: 10.1007/s10865-007-9142-3

Psychological and behavioral adaptation to HIV is integral to long-term survival. Although most research on coping with HIV has focused on factors associated with poor adaptation, recent research has expanded to include positive concomitants of adaptation, such as benefit finding . This study examined the occurrence of benefit finding among HIV+ men and women and evaluated the potential relevance of benefit finding to positive health behavior and psychosocial adaptation. HIV+ participants ( N  = 221) recruited during outpatient care completed self-report assessments of benefit finding, social support, depression, HAART adherence, substance use, and physical activity. In a series of multivariate analyses that controlled for demographic and health status variables, benefit finding was associated with lower depression scores, greater social support, and more physical activity, but showed no association to HAART adherence or substance use. The association of benefit finding to depression was partially mediated by differences in social support. Thus, benefit finding may improve psychological adjustment by motivating patients who experience stress-related growth to seek social support.