“Is it worth living?” psychosocial challenges of childhood sexual abuse survivors aging with HIV

ABSTRACT

Older adults living with HIV (OALH) undergo challenges such as comorbidities, social isolation, and “double stigma” associated with their HIV and aging statuses. Simultaneously, research has shown that experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) continue to impact the quality of life across the lifespan and may pose unique hardships for older adults. Despite the high prevalence of trauma among people living with HIV, research examining the psychosocial challenges of OALH with a CSA history is scant. To address this gap in the literature, this study aimed to explore psychosocial challenges among OALH who are CSA survivors using a qualitative approach. Twenty-four in-depth, semi-structured interviews were completed with OALH (age 50 years and older) who reported histories of CSA. Multiple coders and an inductive coding process were employed for data analysis. Four main themes regarding psychosocial challenges emerged from the analysis: (1) depression and suicidal ideation, (2) fear and anxiety, (3) social support issues, and (4) memory issues. The authors discuss the implications of these findings and the importance of trauma-informed treatment for these individuals.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• HIV
• childhood sexual abuse
• psychosocial
• trauma

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health K01MH115794 awarded to MJB. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.