PSYCHOSOCIAL SELF-PROGNOSIS IN RELATION TO MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN HEMOPHILIACS WITH HIV-INFECTION

HIV-infected hemophiliacs participated in a psychosocial prognosis study. The Coping Wheel was filled out 1-2 years after the subjects had been told that they were HIV-infected and between 1 and 7 years after they had become infected. The number of significant signs of disease as well as mortality were recorded during the years following the psychosocial measurements. These measures were related to three measures of anticipated future activities derived from the Coping Wheel, namely 'number of activities for oneself, 'number of activities with others' and a combined measure 'number of activities for oneself in relation to number of activities with others'. The results indicated that the subject's own psychosocial prognosis added to the prediction of mortality. The most important psychosocial factor was the combined measure: those with few anticipated activities for oneself in relation to activities with others had a greater likelihood of dying soon during follow-up. The latter prediction was true even after adjustment for age and condition of the immune system (CD4 count) at the start of follow-up. The conclusion is that the Coping Wheel, applied as in the present examination, may be of help in prognosis and in identifying psychosocial needs in patients with HIV infection.