Rebooting resilience: shifts toward dynamic, multi-level, and technology-based approaches for people living with HIV

ABSTRACT

Resilience research has often been characterized by a static conceptualization of resilience that focuses on individual-level factors that help people living with HIV (PLHIV) adapt to HIV-related challenges and overcome other life adversities. Early conceptualizations often depicted resilience as a static, stable construct, with limited attention paid to the social context and broader systems that may foster or discourage resilient adaptation across time and place. This special issue seeks to challenge these conventional views by highlighting innovative HIV resilience research across the globe. Far from ignoring socio-cultural contexts, studies presented in this issue directly address systemic stigma and discrimination against PLHIV, as well as sexual and gender minority individuals, and identify unique opportunities to promote resilience through building strong “villages” (i.e., social networks), reducing structural inequities, and enhancing HIV treatment and care systems. In addition, papers included in this issue address the promise and challenges of utilizing mobile Heath (mHealth) technology to build resilience for PLHIV through improving psychosocial and clinical outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• resilience
• adaptation
• coping
• psychological resilience
• psychosocial well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health [R01MH076488] and National Institute of Nursing Research [R01NR013466].