Posttraumatic growth as a predictor of health-related quality of life among people living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Substantial literature exists on trauma and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), but less attention has been given to growth stemming from the trauma of HIV/AIDS diagnosis vis-a-vis the patients' wellbeing. This study examined whether posttraumatic growth (PTG) predicted HRQoL among PLWHA in the South-Eastern Nigeria. Two hundred and one persons (Mean age 40.1 years, SD = 10.5; 39% male, 61% female) managed for HIV/AIDS in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku, Ozalla, Enugu State, were participants in this study. Participants were excluded if they were not diagnosed of HIV/AIDS for at least one year and if they were not receiving anti-retroviral treatment for a minimum period of 6 months. Pearson correlations and linear regression analyses were used to examine the hypotheses. Results showed that PTG was significantly associated with cognitive symptoms dimension of the HRQoL. Results also showed that PTG significantly predicted cognitive symptoms dimension of the HRQoL. This study indicated that positive psychological experiences resulting from the struggle to overcome the trauma of HIV/AIDS diagnosis has positive influence towards alleviating the health worries and mental distress experienced by PLWHA. Our findings underscore the importance of examining not only the broader context of HIV/AIDS, but also individual differences in PTG, when seeking to understand factors that influence HRQoL among PLWHA