Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in People with HIV

People Living with HIV and AIDS: Experiences towards Antiretroviral Therapy, Paradigm Changes, Coping, Stigma, and Discrimination-A Grounded Theory Study

BACKGROUND

The experiences in coping with HIV/AIDS from people living with HIV (PLWH) in Austria, Munich, and Berlin regarding adherence, antiretroviral therapy (ART), stigmatization, and discrimination were the main focus of this study. Therapy adherence is the cornerstone for PLWH to reduce disease progression and increase life expectancy combined with a high quality of life. The experience of stigmatization and discrimination in different life situations and settings is still experienced today.

AIMS

We aimed to examine the subjective perspective of PLWH concerning living with, coping with, and managing HIV/AIDS in daily life.

METHODS

Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) was used. Data collection was conducted with semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 25 participants. Data analysis was performed in three steps, open, axial, and selective coding.

RESULTS

Five categories emerged, which included the following: (1) fast coping with diagnosis, (2) psychosocial burden due to HIV, (3) ART as a necessity, (4) building trust in HIV disclosure, (5) stigmatization and discrimination are still existing.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it can be said that it is not the disease itself that causes the greatest stress, but the process of coping with the diagnosis. Therapy, as well as lifelong adherence, is hardly worth mentioning today. Much more significant is currently still the burden of discrimination and stigmatization.

Path to posttraumatic growth: The role of centrality of event, deliberate and intrusive rumination, and self blame in women victims and survivors of intimate partner violence

Increased interest in positive changes in the aftermath of traumatic events led researchers to examine assumptions about the process of posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, existing studies often use samples from mixed trauma survivors and investigate separate factors and their associations with growth. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the path from centrality of event to PTG involving intrusive and deliberate rumination and self-blame as a coping strategy in women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study sample consisted of 200 women with a history of IPV (ages 18–69, M = 44.79, SD = 12.94). Results of the path analysis indicated that higher centrality of event was related to higher levels of intrusive rumination which was positively related to self-blame and deliberate rumination eventually leading to PTG. Indirect effects from centrality of event to PTG through intrusive and deliberate rumination, and from intrusive to deliberate rumination through self-blame were examined. This study gave support to some theoretical assumptions of the process of PTG and pointed out problematic areas of investigation of coping strategies in this process.