Positive Psychological Constructs and Physiological Outcomes in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study

Bassett, Sarah Margaret Ray

doi:https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-gdcf-e617

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Positive Psychological Constructs and Physiological Outcomes in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study

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Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLWH) have unique health challenges. Understanding psychological strengths that help WLWH manage their disease and improve health outcomes could reduce disease burden. Although spirituality, a multidimensional construct that includes a search for meaning and purpose, connection with a higher dimension, and experiences and feelings associated with said search and connection, and positive affect, defined as positively valenced feelings (e.g., happy, calm, thrilled), have both been associated with better outcomes in HIV, the pathways and predictive abilities of these constructs on physical and psychological health must be elucidated for researchers and clinicians to best support WLWH in achieving and maintaining optimal health. Additionally, it is crucial to understand the acceptability of learning positive affect skills among WLWH. The current work explores the predictive abilities of spirituality and positive affect, and ascertains whether WLWH find learning positive affect skills to be acceptable. First, we examined whether spirituality among WLWH participants is associated with viral load one year later, and whether this relationship is mediated by positive affect or self-reported antiretroviral therapy adherence at six months. Next, we examine whether spirituality or positive affect independently predicts different biomarkers and quality of life among WLWH and demographically similar women. Finally, we tailor a program intended to increase positive affect in people living with HIV to be acceptable and feasible for WLWH and conduct a proof of concept study in this population. Taken together, the current studies provide a clearer view of whether spirituality and positive affect predict physical and health outcomes in HIV, and provide preliminary insight into the acceptability of a positive affect skills program for WLWH.

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