Evaluating the presence of grief in persons living with the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS

3^rd International Conference on HIV/AIDS, STDs & STIs

November 30 - December 02, 2015 Atlanta, USA

Malinda R Conrad

Healthcare Provider, USA

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

Background: A common misconception of grief limits its definition to mourning a loss of life as a result of death. However, grief may be experienced with life altering events or the potential loss of life for persons living with chronic diseases or complicated illnesses, i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS. This qualitative study evaluates the presence of grief in persons living with the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. Method: Seven operational paradigms were assessed using the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self Report (PAIS-SR). There were 78 study participants evaluated with 50 participants completing the survey. There were male participants (N=33) and female participants (N=17) from an HIV clinic in the southern region of the United States. Results: The data analysis compared gender and age within the sample group (N=50). The statistical analysis revealed the presence of grief in both genders. Data analysis indicated the presence of grief had a significant impact on sexual relationships. This study proposes adopting a universal and functional definition of grief to include persons experiencing despondency related to living with chronic diseases with periodic clinical assessments and appropriate interventions when necessary.

Biography :

Malinda R Conrad has done her education from Delta State University. She is member of American Nursing Association, Tennessee Nursing Association, and Georgia Nursing Association.

Email: malinda_conrad@yahoo.com