The mediating effects of functions of social support on HIV-related trauma and health-related quality of life for PLHIV in China

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of social support as a buffer between traumatic life events and HRQOL. We hypothesized that social support would mediate the effect of traumatic life events on HRQOL. A total of 2987 PLHIV participated in this study. The sample included 1876 (62.8%) males, and 1111 (37.2%) females. Data were collected using survey instruments measuring exposure to traumatic life events, functions of social support and HRQOL. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) produced a chi-square (χ² = 486.63, df = 32, p < .001) along with other goodness of fit indices such as CFI/TLI = .958/.941 and RMSEA = .069 (90%CI: .064, .074). Structural coefficients for traumatic life events, functions of social support, and HRQOL were statistically significant (≤.05). Crisis was the strongest predictor of traumatic life events, emotional support was the strongest predictor of functions of social support, and health distress was the strongest indicator of HRQOL. Traumatic life events had a significant direct effect on HRQOL. For PLHIV, experiencing a financial crisis associated with loss and/ or difficulty finding employment and enacted stigma were experienced as traumatic life events. Emotional support, described as having supportive interpersonal relationships, was identified as essential for HRQOL. Implications for interventions were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• HRQOL (Health Related Quality of Life)
• Social Support
• HIV

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank other team members at the University of South Carolina and Guangxi CDC for their efforts in instrument development, data collection and data management. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSFC.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Joi D. Anderson http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6129-4546

Additional information

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH; grant numbers RO1HD074221 and MH0112376) and National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC; grant number 71673146).