The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66750

Dana Miller-Martinez, MPH, Richard G. Wight, PhD, Marie Mayen-Cho, MPH, and Carol S. Aneshensel, PhD. Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 310-794-9391, danamill@ucla.edu

Little is known about how the stress associated with HIV infection, AIDS family caregiving, and unexpected survival manifests as trauma, or if symptoms of post-traumatic stress can be reliably measured within families affected by HIV. This study represents the first step in examining symptoms of post-traumatic stress among adult persons living with HIV (PLH) and the mothers and wives who assist them with activities of daily living. Data are from an NIMH-funded study currently in the field (to date, N = 125), designed to examine AIDS caregiving stress among ethnically diverse midlife and older women. Interviews were administered to both the caregiver (CG) and care-recipient (PLH), in either English or Spanish. Both parties were administered a modified version of the Impact of Events Scale (IES), which measures avoidance and intrusion symptoms. Multiple demographic, health, and stress factors were also assessed. Preliminary analyses indicate that the IES reliably measures HIV-related trauma among both CGs (Alpha = .90) and PLH (Alpha = .89). Findings also show that post-traumatic stress symptoms are very highly correlated with emotional distress (R = .64) and unexpected survival (R = .44) among PLH, but are clearly distinct from emotional distress (R = .15) and unexpected survival (R = .03) among CGs. Further differences between PLH and CGs are presented, and multivariate social correlates of symptoms, such as ethnicity, education, and stigma are also assessed. The mental health care implications of acknowledging and recognizing traumatic stress within AIDS caregiving dyads are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

This research investigates symptoms of post-traumatic stress associated with the trauma of HIV infection, family caregiving, and unexpected survival within HIV caregiving dyads. Session participants will be able to:
• Discuss why post-traumatic stress symptoms are relevant to HIV infection and family caregiving.
• Describe the demographic, health, and stress factors associated with post-traumatic stress within AIDS caregiving dyads.
• Differentiate how the experiences of caregiving mothers differ from wives.
• Recognize the health care impact of post-traumatic stress within AIDS caregiving dyads.

Keywords: Caregivers, Stress

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.