Clinical Personality Patterns in HIV Patients Adopting Problem Focused and Emotional Focused Ways of Coping

Rapid increase in HIV/AIDS incidence and its negative impact on the society itself is an alarming stage, making the patients more prone to develop clinical patterns as the disease is highly associated with social stigma, grief and stress. Every patient has to cope with both the disease and the accompanying stresses. However, the HIV patients suffering from psychological and psychiatric disorders can be made able to cope with the disease related stress and worries. HIV/AIDS is also one such disorder with high incidence and prevalence. Each individual suffering from HIV/AIDS adopts a different style and strategy to cope with the disease. If a better way of coping is there it can help the individual to face the negative impacts associated with HIV/AIDS disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of clinical personality patterns in HIV patients adopting problem focused and emotional focused ways of coping. The present study was carried out in Haryana on 250 HIV positive patients having the age from 25 to 50 years (mean age 37.5 years). To assess the coping styles adopted by HIV patients, Folkman and Lazarus (1988) tested the selected subjects with the ways of copmg questionnaire and then PAI suggested by Morey (1991) was administered to evaluate the level of clinical personality patterns. The means, SD's can't values were computed to interpret the data. Statistical analysis indicates that HIV patients adopted emotion focused ways of coping scored significantly higher on all the eleven subscales of PAI.