Variation in Networks and Forms of Support for Care‐Seeking Across the HIV Care Continuum in the Rural Southeastern United States

Abstract

Purpose In spite of progress in understanding the importance of social support for health outcomes in Persons Living with HIV (PLWH), more remains to be known about mechanisms of support most beneficial at each stage of HIV treatment. In this study, we use a qualitative analytic approach to investigate the forms and sources of social support deemed most integral to the diagnosis, care engagement, and medication adherence behaviors of a diverse sample of PLWH in a mostly rural health district in the Southeastern United States. Methods In‐depth interviews (N = 18) were collected during the qualitative phase of a larger mixed methods needs assessment for the Northeast Georgia Health District. A deductive‐inductive analysis of participant narratives revealed variation in the perceived importance of particular forms and sources of social support during the initial versus advanced stages of HIV care. Findings PLWH identified the emotional, informational, and appraisal support provided by family as especially critical for emotional stability, coping, and care linkage during the initial stages of diagnosis and treatment. However, once in care, PLWH emphasized informational and instrumental forms of support from care providers and appraisal support from peers as key influences in care engagement and retention behaviors. Conclusion Increased understanding of the social support mechanisms that contribute to the HIV treatment behaviors of PLWH can fill knowledge gaps in research and inform the efforts of health care providers seeking to leverage various aspects of the social support toward improving the care retention, health, and wellness outcomes of PLWH.

Prevalence of and factors associated with advanced HIV disease among newly diagnosed people living with HIV in Guangdong Province, China

“…Social support was associated with a low risk of AHD, which may be attributable to good health-seeking behaviour when people were supported by others [15]. The emotional, informational and appraisal support provided by family members were identified as especially critical for emotional stability, coping and linkage to care during the initial stages of diagnosis and ART [39]. A significantly positive relationship between higher social trust and lower late HIV diagnosis at a state-level analysis was observed in a previous study [20].…”

“I’m Gonna Get Busy Living”: Examining the Trajectories of Affect, Behavioral Health, and Psychological Resilience Among Persons Living With HIV in a Southeastern U.S. Health District

“…These findings are substantiated by seminal research on the impact of positive events and social support on life stress (Cohen & Hoberman, 1983), as well as qualitative data illustrating the role of social networks in the management of illness uncertainty and the provision of support among PLWH (Flores, Leblanc, & Barroso, 2016). Study results further explicating the support types and networks which participants deemed most conducive for facilitating HIV treatment are described by the authors elsewhere (Hill, Huff, & Chumbler, 2018). The question of why some participants undergo negative-positive affective transitions post-diagnosis, while others do not remains.…”

Do Older Adults with HIV Have Distinctive Personal Networks? Stigma, Network Activation, and the Role of Disclosure in South Africa

“…Ill individuals with limited social networks and inadequate access to support report lower quality of life, show poorer disease management, and die sooner than their well-connected peers [1][2][3]. Recognizing these high stakes, researchers have devoted considerable attention to understanding how various diseases influence the form and function of people's networks [4][5][6][7].…”