Stress and Coping in Women Living with HIV: A Meta-Analytic Review

To examine effects between stressors and coping mechanisms on behavioral health outcomes a meta-analysis was conducted using
forty empirical articles which sampled 7,602 adult women living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. (M = 36.3 years). Three independent reviewers conducted searches in abstract databases from 1997 to present day. Articles reporting
effect sizes amongst psychosocial stressors and coping mechanisms with indices of behavioral/mental health were selected.
The meta-analyses revealed that in a time frame characterized by the widespread availability of anti-retroviral medication,
poor mental health outcomes were predicted, in a similar manner, by psychosocial stress and HIV/AIDS symptomology. Significant
effects were also observed with functional impairment, though to a lesser degree. Coping by avoidance and social isolation
predicted more severe mental health outcomes. Spirituality and positive reappraisal predicted greater psychological adaptation
than did social support seeking. Despite advancements in anti-retroviral treatment for women, HIV/AIDS symptoms and acute
and/or chronic psychosocial stress pose the same threat to behavioral and mental health. In the face of these stressors, positive
reframing appears to promote psychological adaptation in a way which may lead to positive health outcomes in women living
with HIV/AIDS.