Stress, appraisal, and coping: a comparison of HIV-infected women in the pre-HAART and HAART eras

Background: It has been widely suggested that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the psychosocial aspects of living with HIV/AIDS. Method: A sample of 79 women living with HIV/AIDS in the pre-HAART era (1994-1996) were compared with a matched sample of 79 women with HIV/AIDS from the HAART era (2000-2003) on measures of stress, illness appraisals, and coping strategies. Results: Contrary to expectations, HIV-infected women in the HAART era were significantly more likely than women in the pre-HAART era to report health-related stress, to report stress from stigma and disclosure, to view HIV as having caused them harm, to report that their health is due to chance, and to report more use of maladaptive forms of coping (e.g., escape-avoidant coping). Conclusion: Although HAART may have extended survival for many HIV-infected individuals, they have not resulted in equivalent psychosocial improvements. Thus, efforts are needed to address the psychosocial difficulties that HIV-infected women in the HAART era continue to experience. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.