Psychological Well-Being Among Individuals Aging With HIV: The Value of Social Relationships

Abstract

Objective Utilizing a heterogeneous sample of adults diagnosed with HIV infection, the current study sought to explore associations among age, various dimensions of social support, and psychological and functional wellbeing. Methods Cross-sectional data capturing subjective and instrumental support, social interaction, behavioral health service utilization, and psychological wellbeing (i.e., positive affect and depressive symptomatology), as well as physical functioning, were collected from 109 men and women living with HIV. In order to explore age group differences, participants were stratified by age (≤ 54 vs. 55+ yrs.). Results Despite endorsing greater medical comorbidity, older adults reported significantly lower depressive symptomatology, greater positive affect, and were less likely to report seeing a behavioral health specialist than their younger counterparts. No age group differences emerged for instrumental support or amount of social interaction. However, older adults reported higher subjective support, which in turn was associated with lower depressive symptomatology, greater positive affect, and non-utilization of behavioral health services. Conclusion More attention should be paid to the social environment of individuals diagnosed with HIV, as the quality of social relationships may be particularly important for successful psychological adaptation to HIV.

“HIV/AIDS Isn’t Here”

“…With strong cultural taboos, stigma, and secrecy, HIV has a unique social context that adds to the complexity of social work interventions with affected populations. In fact, HIV has been described by many researchers as a "social disease" (e.g., Mavandadi, Zanjani, Ten Have, & Oslin, 2009;Friedland, Renwick, & McColl, 1996) due to the stigma and marginalization of affected individuals. These two factors can make accessing traditional forms of social support particularly difficult for individuals and families living with, or affected by, HIV (Caroleo, 2001;Sausser, Dattilo, & Kivel, 2000;Kelly, 2010).…”

“…This social support was hypothesized to account for older adults' greater self-rated psychosocial well-being, despite older adults experiencing greater medical challenges associated with HIV. The mitigation of depressive symptoms is significant, as HIV has been linked to higher rates of depression, which is in turn linked to the progression of HIV, as indicated by markers such as viral load, hospitalizations, and life span (Mavandadi et al, 2009). Ashton et al (2005) longitudinally examined social support as a predictor of physical health in 65 HIV-positive individuals in California.…”

“…Numerous authors have specifically examined the role of social support in the well-being of individuals living with HIV. Mavandadi et al (2009) studied the role of social relationships in determining the psychosocial well-being of 109 adults in Philadelphia who are aging with HIV. The authors found that compared to younger adults, older adults reported greater perceived social support and more "vigor," which was linked to more positive effects and fewer depressive symptoms (p. 94).…”

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.…”

“…Among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), these changes may lead to increased risk for social isolation (Emlet, 2006;Schrimshaw & Siegel, 2003), psychological distress (Mavandadi et al, 2009;Sun, Zhang, & Fu, 2007), poor adherence to HIV treatment (Battaglioli-DeNero, 2007), and impaired QoL (Burgoyne & Renwick, 2004;Lan et al, 2015). Malfunctioning social networks also lead to individuals' increased vulnerability to loneliness, affect individuals' well-being (Karpiak, Shippy, & Cantor, 2006), and may aggravate their susceptibility to depression (High et al, 2012).…”