Resilience Among Women with HIV: Impact of Silencing the Self and Socioeconomic Factors

Abstract

In the U.S., women account for over a quarter of the approximately 50,000 annual new HIV diagnoses and face intersecting and ubiquitous adversities including gender inequities, sexism, poverty, violence, and limited access to quality education and employment. Women are also subjected to prescribed gender roles such as silencing their needs in interpersonal relationships, which may lessen their ability to be resilient and function adaptively following adversity. Previous studies have often highlighted the struggles encountered by women with HIV without focusing on their strengths. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationships of silencing the self and socioeconomic factors (education, employment, and income) with resilience in a sample of women with HIV. The sample consisted of 85 women with HIV, diverse ethnic/racial groups, aged 24 – 65 enrolled at the Chicago site of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study in the midwestern region of the United States. Measures included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale -10 item and the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS). Participants showed high levels of resilience. Women with lower scores on the STSS (lower self-silencing) reported significantly higher resilience compared to women with higher STSS scores. Although employment significantly related to higher resilience, silencing the self tended to predict resilience over and above the contributions of employment, income, and education. Results suggest that intervention and prevention efforts aimed at decreasing silencing the self and increasing employment opportunities may improve resilience.

The Relationship Between Mental Health and Resilience: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…If protective factors outnumber risk factors (factors increasing the possibility of incompatible outcomes), it is predicted that the individual, in dealing with problems, displays more resilient behavior, copes with problems, and does not experience mental health disorders (22,65). Self-efficacy, social support, occupation, higher education, self-esteem, positive social orientation, asking for help, stress management, locus of control, coping, and older age are the most important protective factors that play a key role in the demonstration of compatible behavior and protection of mental health in difficult situations (66)(67)(68)(69)(70)(71)(72)(73)(74)(75).…”

Analysis of resilience and sexual behavior in persons with HIV infection

“…As regards sex, age group, education level, income, and current employment situation, no significant differences were found among patients. However, a recent study revealed that HIV-positive women with a low education level, low income, and no employment had high levels of resilience (Dale et al, 2014). Another previous study on asymptomatic seropositive men with low income and low education level showed that they had low levels of resilience (Lima et al, 2014).…”

“…As regards the link between resilience and sociodemographic variables, it has been shown that HIVpositive women with low education levels, low income, and no employment had high levels of resilience (Dale et al, 2014). Other studies have concluded that resilience was lower among asymptomatic seropositive males with lower levels of education and limited economic means (Lima, Azevedo, Amorim, & Saldanha, 2014).…”

Peningkatan Resiliensi pada Penyintas Kekerasan terhadap Perempuan Berbasis Terapi Kelompok Pendukung

“…Resiliensi seperti sebuah lintasan peluru yang dapat berpengaruh terhadap banyak hal, seperti: peningkatan kualitas kesehatan mental dan atau mengurangi gejala penyakit fisik tertentu. Hasil yang diperoleh pun berbeda-beda di tiap wilayah, sehingga faktor kebudayaan dan agama menjadi salah satu penentu kemampuan resiliensi individu (Dale, Cohen, Kelso, Cruise, Weber, Watson, Brody, 2014).…”

“…Literasi penelitian terdahulu menganalogikan resiliensi seperti proses melentingnya bola bekel. Proses tersebut merupakan perumpamaan bagi individu yang terpuruk namun mampu bangkit kembali ke kondisi psikologis sebelum menghadapi kemalangan (Dale et al, 2014).…”