Emotional distress among HIV-positive individuals: the roles of acute negative life events and psychological diatheses

The present study investigated the impact of negative life events and psych ological diatheses (neuroticism, low self-esteem, and dysfunctional attitud es) on emotional distress among HIV-positive patients. Fifty-two participan ts completed questionnaires assessing acute stressful life events, psycholo gical diatheses, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. The following h ypotheses were tested: (a) negative life events would predict depressive sy mptoms and perceived stress; (b) HIV-specific life events would be more str ongly associated with depressive symptoms and perceived stress than general life events; and (c) psychological diatheses would moderate the relationsh ip between acute life events and depressive symptoms, as well as the relati onship between life events and perceived stress. Results indicated that bot h general and HIV-specific life events predicted depressive symptoms and pe rceived stress. However, no support was found for the hypothesis that HIV-r elated life events would be more potent. Psychological diatheses moderated the impact of life events on perceived stress, such that life events had a greater impact on those with lower levels of vulnerability. These results r emained significant after controlling for biological markers of disease pro gression. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.