PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT OF WOMEN WITH HIV AIDS - RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMPARISONS/

The relationship of race and ethnicity with standardized measures of d epressive symptomatology and mental health was examined in a sample of HN-infected African American (n = 48), Puerto Rican (n = 50), and Whi te non-Hispanic (n = 48) women in New York City. Mean scores of women from all three racial and ethnic groups were higher than those reporte d for normative samples on measures of depressive symptomatology and p sychological distress, and mean scores on measures of psychological we ll-being were lower Puerto Rican women reported significantly higher l evels of depressive symptomatology than either African American or Whi te women. Puerto Rican women also reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress and lower levels of psychological well-bein g than African American women. The findings suggest that while all HIV -infected women are at risk of poor adjustment, Puerto Rican women may be especially vulnerable. They also point to the need for future rese arch to determine what factors in these women's lives are predictive o f adjustment, especially those factors amenable to intervention. (C) 1 998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.