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AIDS Care
Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
Volume 28, 2016 - Issue 4
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Articles

Pain-related anxiety in relation to anxiety and depression among persons living with HIV/AIDS

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Pages 432-435 | Received 22 May 2015, Accepted 18 Sep 2015, Published online: 18 Oct 2015
 

ABSTRACT

Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) experience clinically significant pain as a result of HIV and such pain is often related to increased levels of anxiety/depression. Pain-related anxiety has been identified as a mechanism in the onset and progression of pain experience and associated affective distress. However, there has not been empirical study of pain-related anxiety in relation to affective processes among PLHA. To address this gap, hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted using SPSS v.21 to examine pain-related anxiety (as measured using the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale) in relation to anxiety and depressive symptoms (as measured using the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire) among 93 PLHA (10.8% female; Mean age = 49.63, SD = 8.89). Pain-related anxiety was significantly related to anxious arousal symptoms (β = .43) and anhedonic depressive symptoms (β = .25); effects were evident beyond the variance accounted for by CD4 count, race, sex, income level, and current level of bodily pain. The present results suggest that pain-related anxiety may play a role in the experience of anxiety and depressive symptoms among PLHA.

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