"I'm Not Going to Die from the AIDS": Resilience in Aging with HIV Disease

Purpose: Adults aging with HIV/AIDS can experience resilience in spite of the deleterious affects of the disease. This study seeks to examine the lived experiences of older adults with HIV/AIDS as it relates to strengths and resilience in dealing with this devastating disease. Design and methods: Se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Gerontologist 2011-02, Vol.51 (1), p.101-111
Main Authors: Emlet, Charles A, Tozay, Shakima, Raveis, Victoria H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Adjustment (to Environment)
Aged
Aging
Aging (Individuals)
Aging - physiology
Aging - psychology
AIDS
Attitude to Health
Communicable Diseases
Coping
Elderly
Female
Gerontology
Grounded Theory
HIV
HIV Disease
HIV Infections - physiopathology
HIV Infections - psychology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Interpersonal Relationship
Interviews
Interviews as Topic
Male
Middle Aged
Older Adults
Older people
Psychological aspects
Psychological Patterns
Qualitative Research
Resilience
Resilience (Psychology)
Resilience, Psychological
Self Care
Self Concept
Social Support
Stereotyping
Tape Recording
Washington
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Summary:Purpose: Adults aging with HIV/AIDS can experience resilience in spite of the deleterious affects of the disease. This study seeks to examine the lived experiences of older adults with HIV/AIDS as it relates to strengths and resilience in dealing with this devastating disease. Design and methods: Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 adults, 50 years and older, living with HIV/AIDS. The interview transcripts were analyzed using constant comparative methodology following the tenets of adaptive theory. Results: The majority of informants expressed experiences of resilience and strengths as related to living with HIV/AIDS. Seven major themes emerged from the analysis including self-acceptance, optimism, will to live, generativity, self-management, relational living, and independence. Implications: The research identified the importance of strengths and resilience among older adults living with HIV/AIDS. Further research is needed to explore these phenomena with larger samples. Practitioners should identify and implement methods for assessing resilience among older HIV-infected adults.
ISSN:0016-9013
1758-5341
DOI:10.1093/geront/gnq060