Correlates of vitality in HIV+ adults: Perceived social support and life regard

HIV/AIDS can be physically and psychologically debilitating, undermining coping skills, and draining vitality (Harmon et al., 2008). Higher levels of social support are associated with higher vitality in HIV populations (Winterling et al., 2007). Additionally, having meaning in life can contribute to vitality (Eller et al., 2007). Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) coping deficit theory suggests that how we appraise stress (via life regard) and how we use environmental resources (via social support) could influence how we manage HIV (via vitality). We hypothesized that HIV+ adults with higher levels of social support and life regard will correspondingly report higher levels of vitality. A sample of 63 HIV+ adults recruited from an AIDS Service Organization in Dallas (48% women; 62% African-American) completed the Vitality subscale (α = 0.78) of the Medical Outcome Survey–HIV (MOS-HIV; Ware, 1986), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet et al.,1988; α=0.85-0.88), and the Life Regard Index-Revised (LRIR; Lyon, 2001; α=0.79-0.86). A linear regression analysis supported our hypothesis that social support (t=2.1, β=0.21, p=.05), and life regard (t=5.7, β=0.04, p=.001) were significantly associated with vitality, accounting for 40% of the variance in our model (Adj. R2=0.40, F(5,57)=9.33, p=.001). Multicollinearity was not found in our model. Interventions that target vitality and fatigue in HIV populations must address both social support and life regard as they also contribute to the overall quality of life of persons living with HIV.