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A Spanish Study on Psychological Predictors of Quality of Life in People with HIV

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Abstract

In Spain little research has focused on assessment of health indicators, both physical and psychological, in people living with HIV. The aim of this study is to evaluate a set of different indicators that allow us to identify psychological factors that may be influencing the quality of life of these people. The sample consist of 744 people infected with HIV aged between from 18 to 82 years (M = 43.04; SD = 9.43). Results show that factors such as self-esteem and leading a healthy lifestyle act as protectors in both, physical and mental health. On the other hand, financial problems, body disfigurement, and depressive mood could have harmful effects on both, physical and mental health. The structural model reveals depressed mood as the factor with greatest influence upon mental health, which in turn can be largely explained by factors such as the stress generated by HIV and personal autonomy. This work has allowed us to identify the vulnerability and protective factors that play a significant role in the physical and mental HRQOL of persons with HIV, providing guidelines for design and implementation of psychological intervention programs aimed to improve HRQOL in this population.

Resumen

En España son escasos los trabajos que evalúan los indicadores de salud, tanto física como psicológica, en las personas que viven con VIH. El objetivo del trabajo es valorar diferentes indicadores, que nos permitan conocer los factores psicológicos que influyen en la calidad de vida de las personas con VIH. Se contó con la participación de 744 personas con HIV con edades de entre 18 y 82 años (M = 43.04; DT = 9.43). Los resultados muestran que factores como la autoestima y el mantenimiento de hábitos de vida saludables actúan como protectores en la salud física y mental. Por otro lado, los problemas económicos, la desfiguración corporal y el ánimo depresivo podrían vulnerar ambos indicadores de salud. En el modelo estructural encontramos que el ánimo depresivo aparece como el factor que más peso tiene sobre la salud mental, muy influido a su vez por el estrés que genera el VIH y la autonomía personal. Este trabajo ha permitido identificar los factores de vulnerabilidad y protección que resultan relevantes para la CVRS física y mental de las personas con VIH, proporcionando directrices para el diseño y la ejecución de programas de intervención psicológica dirigidos a mejorar la CVRS de esta población.

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Acknowledgements

This research has been made possible thanks to funding from a FIPSE Spain (Fundación para la Investigación y Prevención del Sida en España, Project: 36-0743/09). This paper has been researched and written by the authors on the half of the Spanish Group for the improvement of quality of life in HIV/AIDS. The members of the Spanish Group for the improvement of quality of life in HIV/AIDS are: López-Zúñiga, A.M., Santos-Miguel, I. (Asociación T-4); Albiol-Soto, M. (CESIDA); Ferrer-Lasala, M.J., Fumaz, C. R., González-García, M., Tuldrà-Niño, A. (Fundació Lluita contra la Sida. Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol); Ferrando-Vilalta, R. (Hospital Clínico de Valencia); Santamaria-Jauregui, J.M. (Hospital de Basurto); Iribarren-Loyarte, J.A. (Hospital de Donostia); Fuster-Ruiz de Apodaca, R., Pasquau-Liaño, F. (Hospital de la Marina Baixa de Villajoyosa); Tornero-Esteban, C. (Hospital Fco Borja de Gandía); Roca, B. (Hospital General de Castellón, Universitat Jaume I de Castellón); Cánoves-Martínez, L. (Hospital General de Valencia); Lorenzo-González, J.F. (Hospital General Yagüe de Burgos); Remor, E. (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid); Ubillos-Landa, S. (Universidad de Burgos); Ruzafa-Martínez, M. (Universidad de Murcia); Aguirrezabal-Prado, A., Arnoso-Martínez, A., Larrañaga-Eguilegor, M., Mayordomo-López, S. (Universidad del País Vasco); Fuster-Ruiz de Apodaca, M.J., Molero, F., Nouvilas-Pallejá, E., Pérez-Garín, D., Sanjuan-Suárez, P. (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia); Gil-Llario, M.D., Madrigal-Vilchez, A. (Universitat de València-Estudi General); Ballester-Arnal, R., Castro-Calvo, J., Gil-Juliá, B., Giménez-García, C., Gómez-Martínez, S., Ruiz-Palomino, E. (Universitat Jaume I de Castelló).

We wish to express our most sincere gratitude to the following centers for providing us with access to the participants in the study: H.U.”Marqués de Valdecilla” Santander, Hospital General de Castellón, Hospital Xeral de Vigo, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Hospital Clínico Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol (Fundación Lluita contra la Sida) de Barcelona, Hospital Comarcal de la Marina Baixa. Villajoyosa, Hospital Infanta Leonor de Madrid, Hospital de Basurto Bilbao, Hospital la Princesa de Madrid, Hospital de Burgos, Hospital Ramón y Cajal de Madrid, Hospital de Calella, Hospital Rosell. Murcia, Hospital de Donostia, Hospital Son Llàtzer. Palma. Mallorca, Hospital de Figueres. Girona, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau de Barcelona, Hospital Universitario de A Coruña, Hospital de Mataró (Barcelona), Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Hospital de Sant Pau i Santa Tecla de Tarragona, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet. Zaragoza, Hospital de Vic. Barcelona, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves. Granada, Hospital Francesc de Borja. Gandía, Residencia Murcia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain

    Rafael Ballester-Arnal & Sandra Gómez-Martínez

  2. Fundació Lluita Contra la Sida, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain

    Carmina R. Fumaz & Marian González-García

  3. Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Eduardo Remor

  4. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain

    Mª José Fuster

Authors
  1. Rafael Ballester-Arnal
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  2. Sandra Gómez-Martínez
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  3. Carmina R. Fumaz
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  4. Marian González-García
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  5. Eduardo Remor
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  6. Mª José Fuster
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafael Ballester-Arnal.

Additional information

The study was conducted on behalf of the Spanish Group for the Quality of Life Improvement in HIV or AIDS.

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Ballester-Arnal, R., Gómez-Martínez, S., Fumaz, C.R. et al. A Spanish Study on Psychological Predictors of Quality of Life in People with HIV. AIDS Behav 20, 281–291 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1208-6

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