Side effect and disease related symptom representations among HIV+ adults on antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Aversive side effects from medical treatments can seem as challenging a coping demand as the health condition being treated. A clear framework for understanding how individuals taking treatment differentially understand and approach side effects from treatment and symptoms of disease is needed. Guided by Leventhal's Self Regulation Model, the present study investigates how cognitive and emotional representations of physical problems relate to quality of life (QOL) and adherence to care outcomes in the context of HIV treatment. A sample of 109 HIV + adults on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) were interviewed using self- and interviewer-administered measures of side effect and disease-symptom representations, health-related QOL, and adherence to HAART. Results suggest that (1) side effects of disease are as important as symptoms of illness in their relationships with QOL, (2) studying an individual physical complaint in depth explains such symptoms' associations with QOL better than aggregate symptom and side effect checklists alone, and (3) the Self Regulation Model offers a useful framework from which to evaluate and intervene upon side effect and symptom related experiences. Findings offer guidance for research and clinical practice.