Spiritual activities as a resistance resource for women with human immunodeficiency virus

Background: Few studies have investigated the role that spiritual activitie s play in the adaptational outcomes of women with human immunodeficiency vi rus (HIV) disease. Objective: To examine the role of spiritual activities as a resource that m ay reduce the negative effects of disease-related stressors on the adaptati onal outcomes in HIV-infected women. Methods: A theoretically based causal model was tested to examine the role of spiritual activities as a moderator of the impact of HIV-related stresso rs (functional impairment, work impairment, and HIV-related symptoms) on tw o stress-related adaptational outcomes (emotional distress and quality of l ife), using a clinic-based sample of 184 HIV-positive women. Results: Findings indicated that as spiritual activities increased, emotion al distress decreased even when adjustments were made for HIV-related stres sors. A positive relationship between spiritual activities and quality of l ife was found, which approached significance. Findings showed that HIV-rela ted stressors have a significant negative effect on both emotional distress and quality of life. Conclusions: The findings support the hypothesis that spiritual activities are an important psychological resource accounting for individual variabili ty in adjustment to the stressors associated with HIV disease.