Abstract
Several studies have documented elevated levels of psychological distress among HIV-seropositive (HIV+) symptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM). However, very little is known about the role of dysfunctional attitudes and coping strategies in maintaining and ameliorating distress levels in ways that can inform those developing psychosocial interventions for HIV+ persons. This study evaluated relations between dysfunctional attitudes and depression and examined the role of coping as a mediator of this relationship among 115 HIV+ symptomatic MSM. Higher Dysfunctional Attitude Scale scores were associated with more reported depressive symptoms. The use of adaptive coping strategies such as active coping was associated with lower depression, whereas use of maladaptive strategies such as denial was related to higher levels of depression. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies mediated the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depression. Findings suggest that interventions aiming at reducing psychological distress in this population using cognitive restructuring and related techniques may achieve their effects by enhancing adaptive coping strategies on the one hand and reducing maladaptive strategies on the other.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 591-606 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Cognitive Therapy and Research |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2001 |
Funding
This study was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant P01 MH49548 awarded to the University of Miami Behavioral Medicine Research Center. The authors are grateful to Deidre Byrnes, Tammy Enos, Kristin Kilbourn, Kathleen Starr, and Teresa Woods, who contributed in the recruitment and assessment of study participants, and to the many men who participated in the study.
Keywords
- HIV
- coping
- depression
- dysfunctional attitudes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
