| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: The relationships between psychosocial factors and health decline among HIV+ men. | | Authors: Patterson TL, Semple SJ, Temoshok L, Atkinson JH, McCutchan JA, Chandler J, Grant I, and the HNRC Group | | Year: 1994 | | Publication: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | | Volume: 16 Issue: S Pages: S185 | | Abstract:Psychosocial factors may differentiate HIV+ men who experience health decline from those who do not change in health status. HIV-positive men participating in the San Diego HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (N=215) were assessed on measures of psychosocial functioning and CDC stage at baseline visit and 6-month followup.
A discriminant function analysis was performed using six psychosocial factors (HIV-dependent and –independent life adversity, avoidant coping, emotional support, loneliness, depressive symptoms) to distinguish between HIV+ men who showed health decline (i.e., progressed to a worse CDC classification) and HIV+ men who did not change CDC status over 6-month followup. One discriminant function was calculated accounting for 20% of between-group variability. HIV+ men who declined in health status had more depressive symptoms, higher loneliness scores, used more avoidant coping, and experienced less HIV-independent adversity during the 6-month period preceding their decline in health. Utilizing this set of psychological variables, we correctly classified 62% of the sample.
Our findings suggest that this set of psychosocial variables predicts who will experience HIV-related health decline. Contrary to expectation, this analysis indicates that less life adversity predicts whose health will decline. We speculate that this finding may be due to life stress by mood interactions, and bidirectional relationships. |
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