Exploring the impact of coping self-efficacy on psychological distress among violence-affected people living with HIV

ABSTRACT

This study examines the relationship between coping self-efficacy, concurrent stress, and psychological distress (borderline/clinical anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms) among people living with HIV (PLWH). Using data from a cohort of PLWH living in a southern peri-urban area, logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the effects of self-reported coping self-efficacy on psychological distress in a sample of 85 violence-affected PLWH. We also tested the moderating effect of coping self-efficacy on the concurrent stress-psychological distress relationships. In adjusted models, coping self-efficacy was significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety and PTSD, but not depressive symptoms. Findings indicate that high coping self-efficacy may reduce one’s likelihood of anxiety and PTSD symptoms among PLWH.

KEYWORDS:

• Coping self-efficacy
• stress
• psychological distress
• HIV

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

• SDG 3: Good health and well-being

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the NOLA GEM and NOAH research teams as well as the nursing and research staff at the LSUHSC Clinical and Translational Research Center. We are also grateful for the study participants who shared their experiences with us.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study will be made available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author, GC, after the lead study teams have completed all their analyses.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Grant R34AA028961 and Grant P60AA009803; and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the NIH, which funds the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center, under Grant U54GM104940.