Concerns and coping with HIV: comparisons across groups

Abstract

To develop scales measuring major concerns about being HIV-positive and how people would cope with diagnosis, items were selected from the Ways of Coping Scale (Folkman et al., 1986) and generated by county health department HIV counsellors. Psychometric scale development involved two diverse samples of HIV test clients. Study I (health department, N=272) yielded five Concerns with HIV scales and nine Coping with HIV scales. Factor structures did not differ between gay/bisexual men, heterosexual women or heterosexual men. In Study II (private non-profit gay-identified community HIV clinic, N=227), LISREL confirmatory factor analyses cross-validated the Study I factor structures with no notable differences found. Some mean differences between genders and by sexual orientation were explained by different numbers of HIV-positive people known. Concern and Coping with HIV Scales (CCHIVS) are discussed for HIV/AIDS research and clinical use.