Coping Styles and Illicit Drug Use in Older Adults With HIV/AIDS

The prevalence of HIV infection in older adults is increasing; by 2015, over half of adults living with HIV/AIDS in the United States will be over 50. This study describes the prevalence of drug use and examines psychosocial predictors of drug use in a sample of HIV-infected adults aged 50 and older...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of addictive behaviors 2013-12, Vol.27 (4), p.1050-1058
Main Authors: Skalski, Linda M., Sikkema, Kathleen J., Heckman, Timothy G., Meade, Christina S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological - physiology
Addictive behaviors
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aged
Aging
AIDS
Biological and medical sciences
Comorbidity
Coping Behavior
Coping Style
Drug addiction
Drug Usage
Female
Geriatrics
HIV
HIV Infections - epidemiology
HIV Infections - psychology
Human
Human viral diseases
Humans
Immunodeficiencies
Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies
Immunopathology
Infectious diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychosocial Factors
Street Drugs
Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders - psychology
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
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Summary:The prevalence of HIV infection in older adults is increasing; by 2015, over half of adults living with HIV/AIDS in the United States will be over 50. This study describes the prevalence of drug use and examines psychosocial predictors of drug use in a sample of HIV-infected adults aged 50 and older. Participants were 301 HIV-positive older adults enrolled in a clinical trial of a coping intervention aimed to reduce their depressive symptoms. One-quarter used illicit drugs in the past 60 days (48% any cocaine, 48% weekly marijuana, 44% any other drugs) with an average of 36 days for marijuana and 15 days for cocaine. After controlling for demographics, self-destructive avoidance was positively associated and spiritual coping was negatively associated with drug use. These findings suggest that assessment of drug abuse should be a routine part of care for older patients in HIV clinics. Furthermore, interventions designed to increase spiritual coping and decrease self-destructive avoidance may be particularly efficacious for HIV-infected older adults.
ISSN:0893-164X
1939-1501
DOI:10.1037/a0031044