Direct and indirect effects of perceived social support on health-related quality of life in persons living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Research has established a link between perceived social support and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among persons living with HIV/AIDS. However, little is known about the ways through which social support influences HRQOL. This study examined the direct and indirect effects of perceived social support on physical and mental HRQOL in a sample of 602 adults living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study-HIV (MOS-HIV) health survey, the MOS-HIV Social Support Scale (MOS-HIV-SSS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression-Revised scale. Data on demographic and clinical characteristics were also collected. The direct and indirect effects of social support on the two MOS-HIV HRQOL summary measures, that is, physical health summary (PHS) and mental health summary (MHS), were estimated in multiple linear regression analyses. Perceived social support had significant direct effects on PHS (B=0.04, p<0.01) and MHS (B=0.05, p<0.01). It also had significant indirect effect on both PHS (B=0.04, p<0.01) and MHS (B=0.11, p<0.01), mediated by depressive symptoms. Interventions that enhance social support have the potential to contribute to better HRQOL either directly or indirectly by decreasing the deleterious effect of depressive symptoms on HRQOL.

“HIV/AIDS Isn’t Here”

“…For example, Friedland et al, (1996) found that emotional support was a statistically significant factor in determining quality of life for individuals living with HIV, and note that support services that "bridge the gap between informal and formal" (e.g., a camp experience) may be particularly beneficial (p. 28). Similarly, Ashton et al reported that satisfaction with social support was linked to a lower level of progression of HIV-related health symptoms (2005); Bekele et al (2013) found that perceived social support directly affected both physical and mental health, as well as mediating depressive symptoms; and Clingerman (2004) found that social support provided by friends was positively linked to health-related quality of life. Extrapolating these findings, it is therefore theoretically possible that attending a campwhich has proven in this study to act as a significant form of social support -may have some effects on health-related quality of life.…”

“…In addition, social support was significantly associated with a variety of other factors that may affect quality of life: employment status, income, and housing-related discrimination (p. 340). Ashton et al, (2005), Friedland, et al, (1996 and Bekele et al, (2013) all cite as an implication the need for increased "informal support" services, such as buddy lines and drop-in centres (Ashton et al, 2005 p. 28). …”

“…While the participants perceived the emotional support they received was of sufficient quality, they wished for a greater quantity of emotional support. Bekele et al, (2013) examined the role of perceived social support in determining the quality of life for 602 HIV-positive adults in Ontario. Perceived social support was found to directly affect physical health.…”

Fatores intervenientes entre suporte social e autoeficácia em pessoas infectadas pelo HIV

“…O suporte social consiste na satisfação da pessoa com o apoio que tem recebido da rede de relações sociais, ou seja, de que forma as pessoas oferecerem condições que auxiliam no TARV, e pode ser dividido em duas categorias: o suporte social instrumental e o suporte social emocional. O primeiro, refere-se à disponibilização de ajuda em situações operacionais do cotidiano, tais como apoio financeiro e/ou material; o segundo, aos comportamentos de escutar, de prover atenção ou fazer companhia para que a pessoa infectada pelo HIV possa se sentir estimada e/ou cuidada [14][15][16].…”

Social networks of older adults living with HIV in Finland

“…The importance of the social network and the support it provides for individuals' well-being and quality of life (QoL) has been widely reported in the HIV literature (Bekele et al, 2013;Chesney, Chambers, Taylor, & Johnson, 2003;Mavandadi, Zanjani, Ten Have, & Oslin, 2009), although less frequently among those with HIV who are aged 50 and older (Emlet, Fredriksen-Goldsen, & Kim, 2013). As this segment of the HIV population is steadily growing worldwide and is an emergent issue in Finland (National Institute for Health and Welfare [THL], 2015), acknowledging the importance of social networks in the older population may provide a good baseline for health and social care interventions aimed at promoting healthy ageing with HIV.…”