Stress and Perceived Social Support among Asymptomatic, Symptomatic Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

Stress, negative emotions, and social isolation influence the pace at which the asymptomatic, symptomatic (HIV positive) and AIDS living progresses. However, social support is related consistently to positive indicators of psychological well-being. Two hundred forty (240) diagnosed HIV patients: 80 asymptomatic, 80 symptomatic (HIV positive) and 80 AIDS (with 40 male and 40 female in each group) served as respondents to highlight stress and perceived social support among the groups. The age of the respondents ranged between 25 to 40 years. The psychometrically standardized questionnaires of Singh's Personal Stress Source Inventory (Singh, 2004) and P.G.I. Social Support Questionnaire (Verma et al., 1998) were employed to meet the objectives. Preliminary analysis revealed more proportion of asymptotic patients in the lower age group, followed by middle age group, and least in the higher age group. Converse trend emerged in the AIDS respondents. Men and women in the three main groups of respondents (asymptomatic, symptomatic and AIDS patients) emerged to be more or less equal on stress and social support measures, and that the relationships between stress and social support measures among the three main groups emerged to be negligible. One-Way ANOVA revealed significant ‘between-groups’ effects on stress and social support measures. Post hoc mean comparisons revealed indicated significantly higher stress scores in AIDS than in symptomatic patients, and both the groups indicated significantly higher scores than in asymptomatic patients. Moreover, asymptomatic patients revealed significantly higher social support scores than in symptomatic patients, and both the groups indicated significantly higher social support then in AIDS. These findings indicate that studies related to HIV/AIDS patients should focus on stress reduction (and management) and to promote social support, which in turn, would not only help such patients but would go a long way in maintaining the quality of life and well-being of people living with various chronic illnesses.