Social support nourishes quality of life for many older HIV patients by easing HIV stigma, reducing stress, and depression. A new study led by Dr. Kristen Krause at Rutgers looked into this and published in AIDS Cares their findings. They examined the social connections of older people living with HIV in Newark. “It is an area frequently overlooked in research focusing on this demographic,” said a press release from Rutgers Health. The study, can be accesed here.
Krause is an instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. “This study helps us understand how support networks affect older adults living with HIV and how stigma and fragmented relationships can ultimately make way for negative health outcomes,” she said.
Susannah C. Gervolino, Perry N. Halkitis, and Krause conducted interviews with 40 participants, aged 51–69 years, living with HIV in the Newark metropolitan area. Through the process of analysis, four main themes were found in the role of social support: friends and relationships; support; stigma and discrimination; and family.
Authors from the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies within the Rutgers School of Public Health also added to this study. They showed that stigma against HIV decreases, and so does stress, anxiety, and depression levels among older people living with HIV. […]
Click here to read the full piece. This story was originally published by Out in Jersey on May 27, 2024.
