Psychological distress and coping in the partners of gay men with HIV-related disease

Objectives. This study explored the levels of distress in a UK sample of pa rtners of gay men with HIV disease. The relationship between coping style a nd other variables to this distress was also investigated. Design and methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was used with me asures of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Ge neral Health Questionnaire), coping style (the COPE scale), social support, relationship quality and physical health. Results. Thirty-five HIV-negative partners made up the final sample. High l evels of distress were found with 54% scoring as psychiatric cases (GHQ). C oping strategies of acceptance, behavioural disengagement, mental disengage ment, focusing on emotions and suppression of competing activities were sig nificantly (P < .05) correlated with psychological distress. Significant bu t smaller correlations were also found between distress and satisfaction wi th social support, and distress and measures of the infected person's healt h. Conclusions. Distress in the partners of people with HIV infection was asso ciated with a number of factors, some amenable to change. This study sugges ts that psychological therapy aimed at modifying coping style would be a us eful adjunct to treatment of the anxiety and depression directly.