Social support and posttraumatic growth in a longitudinal study of people living with HIV: the mediating role of positive affect

Abstract

Background: Psychological research in people living with HIV (PLWH) has been dominated by studies on the negative consequences of HIV infection. However, recently, positive changes following the diagnosis of HIV have been examined, namely the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG). Objectives: The aim of this one-year longitudinal study was to investigate the level of PTG and its relationship with social support dimensions (perceived support, need for support, actually received support) and positive and negative affect among PLWH. Specifically, this study explored the mediating role of positive and negative affect in the link between social support and PTG. Method: Participants filled out the following psychometric tools: Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X). Three assessments were performed. Altogether, 129 patients were recruited for the first assessment, 106 patients participated in the second assessment and 82 participants (63.6%) out of the initial sample of 129 participated in all three assessments. Results: The positive relationship between all examined social support dimensions and PTG was entirely mediated by positive affect. There was no association between negative affect and PTG. Selected socio-medical covariates (sex, employment, higher education, being in a stable relationship and HIV/AIDS status) were related to social support and PTG among participants. Conclusions: This study points to the need for more research on positive aspects of HIV/AIDS, notably PTG. More specifically, interventions focused on enhancement and sustainment of positive affect among PLWH should be an adjunct to traditional mental health screening among this patient group.

The Impact of Coping Skills in Post-traumatic Growth of Healthcare Providers: When Mental Health Is Deteriorating Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Upon closer investigation, Relating to Others was the highest scoring PTGI factor, with New Possibilities as second. As a tendency to find meaning in facing this life-threatening disease, healthcare providers seem to change their sense of relationship, resulting in building closer bond with their family members and friends and a willingness to help others, as noted in other studies ( Khanjani et al, 2017 ; Rzeszutek, 2017 ; Tamiolaki and Kalaitzaki, 2020 ; Sun et al, 2021 ) when social support became an important source in coping with challenging events.…”

Posttraumatic growth and well-being among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis in recognition of 40 years of HIV/AIDS

“…Three studies revealed significant associations between higher education and PTG. Two reported a negative association between the two variables [75,65], and another indicated a stronger association between SWLS and PTG in less educated participants [68]. Some studies show possible adverse effects of higher education on PLWH's wellbeing, as education level may be associated with more intense perceived stigmatization (e.g., [86]).…”

Suicidal thoughts and behaviour among South African adolescents living with HIV: Can social support buffer the impact of stigma?

“…A large body of research links social support to better mental health and lower odds of suicide among people living with HIV or other chronic illness (Bitew et al, 2016;Rzeszutek, 2017;Umberson and Montez, 2010). Higher social support (especially from caregivers) has been found to be protective against mental health difficulties among ALHIV (Gentz et al, 2017) and for suicidal behaviours among youth in high-income countries; this includes evidence from longitudinal studies (McKinnon et al, 2016;Teismann et al, 2016).…”