Stigma Consciousness, Coping Strategies And Cd4 Counts Of Persons With Hiv/aids

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS

Unique and interesting outcomes characterized this study. To the best knowledge of the researcher, this study was the first to demonstrate the link between stigma consciousness and immunity using CD4 counts as measure among people living with HIV/AIDS. Stigma consciousness and social support were implicated in contributing to changes in immune system as measured in CD4 counts among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) used in this study. Also, information and problem copings were found to affect CD4 counts, a marker of immunity among PLWHA of the same group. After entering for statistical control using ANCOVA stigma consciousness, social support, information coping were still significant but not problem coping. Treatment was also significant. Interaction effects were not established for any of the variables even after controlling for influence of treatment. Cognitive therapy had significant effect on stigma consciousness, social support, information, and problem copings.

Consistent with the first prediction of this study, those who scored low in stigma consciousness measure tended towards higher immune system measure than those who scored high in stigma consciousness measure. This shows that those people living with HIV/AIDS and who are also of high stigma consciousness are disposed to believe that others will stereotype them. It is possible that those who are of high stigma consciousness may have been affected by discrimination that affected their mood. They are more concerned on how they appear before other people than those who are of low stigma conscious. The implication being that living with HIV/AIDS will bring about feeling of worry for discrimination and feelings that their behaviours will be interpreted in terms of the fact that they are HIV/AIDS seropositive, thus being more concerned with how they appear before others. This finding is in accordance with Pinel (1999) in which gay men and lesbians who scored high in stigma consciousness scale were found to be more concerned with how they appear before others. Those living with HIV/AIDS view themselves as less equal to others. This situation as found among HIV/AIDS population brings about negative mood which invariably affects their immunocompetence levels. In other words, their immune systems are rendered inactive or inefficient. It could be that high stigma consciousness can be implicated in hormonal changes during immune system functioning among PLWHA. This idea may interest other scientists.

Also, in accordance with the second prediction, those living with HIV/AIDS who scored high in social support scale were disposed towards having more immune system than their counterparts who scored low in social support measure. This implies that high social support exerts beneficial effects on immunity among the population of people living with HIV/AIDS. Earlier Kessler, and Mcleod (1985) demonstrated that social support or lack of it could have direct effect on biological processes. The finding of this study substantiates Kessler and Mcleod finding since CD4 count is a biological process that determines the level of immunity among those living with HIV/AIDS. According to Kessler and Mcleod, low levels of social support is responsible for increase in negative emotion which according to Kiecolt-Glasser et al (1985;2002) can affect hormone and immune system.

The plausible outcome can be attributed to the fact that those living with HIV/AIDS who have family members whom they can rely on and call on, in times of need, will develop positive emotions that will exert beneficial effects on their immune systems functioning. Also, if HIV/AIDS seropositive individuals realize that their family members regard them as worthy fellows and help them in finding solutions to their problems, they are likely to develop favourable emotions and improved immune system. Pryor and his colleagues (2004) found high proportion of people who have friends and relatives to have higher immune system. Of course, conveying empathy and compassion to people living with HIV/AIDS by their relatives and friends for realistic negative situations will be beneficial in boosting up their immunity.

Also, having friends and feeling relaxed when staying with them, talking over problems with them can serve as attachment, and are sources of social support necessary for improved immune system among people living with HIV/AIDS. This is mostly true since positive emotion can result from attachment to friends. This can further be explained on the ground that those who are high on social support eat diets which help in improving their immune systems. For people living with HIV/AIDS, having at least one friend they can tell anything to, and feeling close to others can exert beneficial effect on their immune system functioning. Thus, this result shows that lower social support is risky in lowering immune system functioning among HIV/AIDS seropositive individuals. At least, if others who are assumed to be normal refuse to relate well with seropositive individuals; the seropositive individuals can find solace in support group meetings with their fellow seropositive colleagues.

This study found strong evidence in connection between information coping and CD4 counts of persons with HIV/AIDS. In other words, there is significant difference between those who seek information and those who avoid information in their immune system measures. Those people living with HIV/AIDS who seek information tended towards better immune system functioning than those who avoid information. According to Kalichman et al (2006) and Devins and Binik (1996) information coping is associated with health benefits and increased access to information as coping strategy may empower people to become more engaged in their health care. The result of this study makes different by comparing two domains of information coping, that is seeking information and avoiding information, on immune system using CD4 counts as measure. This finding is consistent with one of the predictions of this study which stated that those people living with HIV/AIDS who seek information would score higher in immune system measure than their counterparts who avoid information. This outcome could be explained on the ground that the individuals living with HIV/AIDS used in this study were more disposed to seek information on medication and the need for running medical tests; seek to know their medical treatment plan by asking doctors questions. With doctors or healthcare workers providing positive information, PLWHA will likely develop positive mood or emotion that will be beneficial to their immune system functioning.