HIV-related traumatic stress symptoms in AIDS caregiving family dyads

Abstract

This study assesses HIV-related traumatic stress symptoms in 135 AIDS caregiving family dyads in which the caregiver is a midlife or older mother or wife, and the care-recipient is her HIV-infected adult son or husband. Symptoms of HIV-related traumatic stress can be reliably measured in these dyads, with both caregivers and care-recipients reporting avoidant and intrusive thoughts. Among care-recipients, high symptoms are associated with high daily living assistance requirements, low dyadic adjustment, and high constriction of social activities. Among caregivers, high symptoms of traumatic stress are associated with being HIV positive, feeling overloaded by caregiving demands, and perceiving high levels of HIV stigma. Caregiving mothers and wives may feel traumatized ‘courtesy’ of their loved one's HIV infection, the caregiving scenario, or the resultant caregiving stress.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH63034 and R03 MH61147, Richard G. Wight, Ph.D., Principal Investigator).