Health-related quality of life in bereaved HIV-positive adults: relationships between HIV symptoms, grief, social support, and Axis II indication.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated a model of the impact of borderline and antisocial personality disorder indications on HIV symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in AIDS-bereaved adults, accounting for grief severity, social support, and years since HIV diagnosis. DESIGN: Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model in a sample of 268 HIV-seropositive adults enrolled in an intervention for coping with AIDS-related bereavement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Functional assessment of HIV infection, HIV symptoms. RESULTS: The proposed model demonstrated excellent fit with study data and all hypothesized paths were supported. Personality disorder indication was directly related to HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirectly related through both social support and grief severity. Social support was negatively related to HIV symptoms and positively related to HRQoL, while grief severity was positively related to HIV symptoms and negatively related to HRQoL. Finally, HIV symptoms had a direct negative relationship with HRQoL. CONCLUSION: Personality disorders have a direct negative effect on HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirect effects through grief severity and social support.