Stress-related Growth and Perceived Health in Japanese People Living With HIV: Web-based Nationwide Participatory Research [post]

Taisuke Togari, Yoji Inoue, Gaku Oshima, Sakurako Abe, Rikuya Hosokawa, Yosuke Takaku
2020 unpublished
Background: For Japanese people living with HIV, this study aimed at the following: verifying the three-factor model of stress-related growth scales; confirming the impact of stress-related growth on mental health and physical symptoms; and determining differences in the effects of stress-related growth on health by time since HIV diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous self-administered online survey which was prepared on the basis of the participatory research method was conducted
more » ... July 2013 to February 2014 and from December 2016 to July 2017 for all Japanese web users living with HIV. We analyzed the data of 1,422 participants who responded regarding the number of years since diagnosis and where transmission was sexual. The mean age (standard deviation) was 38.6 (8.3) years. Results: Stress-related growth comprises three factors: self-perception, interpersonal relationships, and philosophy of life. In the group over 4 years since diagnosis, logistic and Poisson regression analysis simultaneously including all the scales showed a positive effect; in the group with less than 4 years since diagnosis, such an association was found only for self-perception. In the group with over 4 years since diagnosis, positive growth in interpersonal relationships and self-perception led to reduced somatic symptoms; however, philosophy of life was linked to increased physical symptoms. When the group with less than 4 years since diagnosis was included, no correlation was evident with philosophy of life; positive growth in self-perception led to reduced physical symptoms; positive changes in interpersonal relationships produced increased physical symptoms. Conclusions: Toward assisting people living with HIV/AIDS, we found that personal and group relationships played an important role in creating positive changes regarding respondents' perceptions of life and other people.
doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-60541/v1 fatcat:psmw3makyzanvcq4jgmmmyijja