The Case for Connection: Spirituality and Social Support for Women Living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

For many people coping with a serious health problem or illness, spirituality can be a vital resource. Despite a growing body of research connecting spirituality and health outcomes, there is little explanation for this connection. Exploring connections among spirituality, communication, and social support is important for explaining how, why, and for whom spirituality may be helpful. One particularly rich context for examining connections between social support and spirituality is that of women living with HIV and AIDS. Through an analysis of two data sets focused on the support experiences of women coping with HIV, a case is made that the intersections between social support and spirituality provide useful theoretical explanations for health outcomes.

Keywords:

• Social Support
• Spirituality
• Coping
• HIV/AIDS

Acknowledgments

I gratefully acknowledge support for this research from the National Institutes of Health (1 F31 MH65863-01), as well as a Research Growth Initiative Grant from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. I would like to thank Malynnda Johnson and Carol Bishop-Mills for their feedback on this manuscript. I also wish to thank the women who participated in the study. A portion of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association Convention in Boston in November, 2005.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer L. Peterson

Jennifer L. Peterson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee