Coping With HIV

Caribbean People in the United Kingdom

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4701935
AutoresMoji Anderson (University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica), Gillian Elam (University College London, London, United Kingdom), Ijeoma Solarin (0000-0002-2045-3053, King's College London, London, United Kingdom), Sarah Gerver (0000-0003-0510-7782, King's College London, London, United Kingdom), Kevin Fenton (0000-0002-0528-6349, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA), Philippa Easterbrook (0000-0002-2603-5418, King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
Año2009
Volumen19
Número8
Páginas1060-1075
Fecha de publicación2009-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732309341191
PMID19638600
OpenAlexW2160614262
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas62

Although Caribbean people in the United Kingdom are increasingly being affected by HIV/AIDS, there has been no examination of how they are coping with the illness. We investigate the coping strategies of HIV-positive Caribbean people using in-depth interviews with a purposively selected group of 25 residents of South London. The main coping strategies were more cognitive than behavioral: restricted disclosure, submersion, faith, and positive reappraisal. These strategies were intertwined in complex ways, and most were rooted in contextual factors, particularly cultural ones. Themes of loss, silence, and reinvention suffused respondents' narratives. Interventions should consider the high degree of stigmatization of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean community, reluctance to disclose, the likelihood of an initial severe reaction to diagnosis, and external stressors. HIV-positive Caribbean people who are coping well could serve as mentors and role models for poor copers and newly diagnosed patients; establishing Caribbean-specific support groups might also assist coping

Family medicine · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Silence · Stressor · Clinical Psychology · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Social Psychology