Current research indicates that emotional support is strongly associated with physical and psychological adjustment in persons living with HIV/AIDS. While gender-differences in health and health behaviors of HIV positive patients are well studied, less is known about how men and women living with HIV/AIDS may differentially perceive and integrate support into their lives, and how it subsequently affects their psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study examines how emotional support received from partners and family/friends and gender explains psychological well-being (i.e., stress, depression, anxiety) in a sample of 409 partnered European HIV positive individuals. We hypothesized that gender would modify the associations between support and psychological well-being such that men would benefit more from partner support whereas women would benefit more from family/friend support. Results revealed that regardless of the source of support, men's well-being was more positively influenced by support than was women's well-being. Women's difficulties in receiving emotional support may have deleterious effects on their psychological well-being. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Emotional support and gender in people living with HIV: Effects on psychological well-being / Gordillo, Victoria; Fekete, Erin M.; Platteau, Tom; Antoni, Michael H.; Schneiderman, Neil; Nã¶stlinger, Christiana; Eurosupport Study, Group; UBERTI FOPPA, Caterina. - In: JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE. - ISSN 0160-7715. - 32:6(2009), pp. 523-531. [10.1007/s10865-009-9222-7]
Emotional support and gender in people living with HIV: Effects on psychological well-being
UBERTI FOPPA, CATERINA
2009-01-01
Abstract
Current research indicates that emotional support is strongly associated with physical and psychological adjustment in persons living with HIV/AIDS. While gender-differences in health and health behaviors of HIV positive patients are well studied, less is known about how men and women living with HIV/AIDS may differentially perceive and integrate support into their lives, and how it subsequently affects their psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study examines how emotional support received from partners and family/friends and gender explains psychological well-being (i.e., stress, depression, anxiety) in a sample of 409 partnered European HIV positive individuals. We hypothesized that gender would modify the associations between support and psychological well-being such that men would benefit more from partner support whereas women would benefit more from family/friend support. Results revealed that regardless of the source of support, men's well-being was more positively influenced by support than was women's well-being. Women's difficulties in receiving emotional support may have deleterious effects on their psychological well-being. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.