ABSTRACT
Due to improvements in anti-HIV medications (i.e., Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Th erapy, or HAART) and in prophylaxis for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has been characterized as a chronic illness rather than a uniformly terminal disease (Siegel & Lekas, 2002). Improved treatments have increased life spans and heightened interest in how people manage the social and psychological eff ects of living with HIV or AIDS (Siegel & Schrimshaw, 2005). Th ese individuals must cope with a number of illness-related stressors, including disruptions to identity, stigmatizing reactions of others, and uncertainty about the progression of their illness and the potential safety and effi cacy of anti-HIV medication regimens (Brashers et al., 1999, 2003). Th e stress associated with HIV infection has been associated with depression (Porche & Willis, 2006), nonadherence to treatment regimens (Gebo, Keruly, & Moore, 2003), accelerated immune system decline (Kiecolt-Glaser, McGuire, Robles, & Glaser, 2002), and decreased health status (Evans et al., 1997).
