LITERATURE REVIEW

Psychological effects of HIV/Aids- Literature Review

Abstract

This paper is a literature review that is gathered from six articles. The literature review is a summary and critical evaluation of the articles selected. The articles from which the review is extracted from are mentioned within the annotated bibliography at the end of this paper and a brief description of each article is even given along with its title and other details. The literature review as whole explains and evaluates the huge literature available on the topic of psychological effects of HIV/AIDS.

Table of Contents

Abstract1

Literature Review3

Parameters of Illness:7

Coping Resources:7

Cognitive appraisal:8

Coping Strategies:9

Nature of links amongst variables:10

Factors manipulating health course in HIV infection:11

Psychosocial factors:11

Biological factors:12

Behavioral factors:13

Annotated Bibliography14

References20

Psychological effects of HIV/Aids- Literature Review

Literature Review

A number of challenges are posed to a person who is living with HIV, and numerous HIV infected people possess increased levels of depression and stress as compared to the healthy people in the general population (Cruess, et.al, 2003; Bing, et.al, 2001). Increased stress levels are linked to poorer behaviors of health, which include unsafe sex practice, non-adherence to medication, and drug use (Bing, et.al, 2001). Additionally, increased depression and stress levels are connected to rapid progression of the disease (Leserman, 2008). It is probable that getting assistance from partners, family members, and friends might assist in preventing or alleviating the degree to which individuals living with HIV undergo psychological distress (Cohen & Wills, 1985).

A number of studies have confirmed that if a person living with HIV receives considerable social support from important members of his/her social network could encourage affirmative psychological adjustments within the HIV infected people. Coping assistance is provided by emotional support in efforts for preventing or alleviating distress by actions like understanding and empathy (Heller & Rook, 1997). Emotional support's greater amounts are linked to more positive and less negative affect within HIV infected people (Gonzalez, et.al, 2004; Deichert, et.al, 2008). Furthermore, HIV infected people that are contented with the support levels that is provided to them be apt for experiencing more self-esteem, less psychological distress, and a higher quality of life (Turner-Cobb, et.al, 2002; Safren, et.al, 2002) while people living with HIV that are given lesser levels of social support undergo increased distress (Catz, et.al, 2002). It has been suggested by the former studies that the link amid psychological well-being and social support is influenced by sexual orientation within the HIV infected people (McDowell & Serovich, 2007; Carels, et.al, 1998), although not much is known regarding the way women and men living with AIDS/HIV might differentially integrate and perceive support within their lives, and how such a support consequently described their well-being (psychological).

HIV infected women when weighed against men living with HIV have shown lesser social resources, elevated levels of distress and a decreased quality of life related to health (Gaberman & Wolfe, 1999; Cederfjall, et.al, 2001). Nonetheless, a small number of studies have directly examined that if the gender disparities within the process of social support might assist in explaining the health variations in HIV infected women and ...