Predictors of Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth Among People Living with HIV: A Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal study investigated the predictors of HIV-related resilience (HR) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Spanish-speaking HIV-positive people. Perceived past resilience, internalised stigma, and coping strategies were hypothesised as possible predictors. Data were collected at two time points from 119 HIV-positive people. Path analyses with latent variables revealed that half of HR 8 months after diagnosis was predicted by rumination, emotional expression, positive thinking, internalised stigma, and perceived past resilience. The latter three, along with isolation, self-blame, thinking avoidance, and help seeking predicted some PTG dimensions 8 months after diagnosis. The results highlight the importance of internalised stigma associated with HIV infection and of the differential use of coping strategies, and point to the need for clinicians and policy makers to implement stigma reduction and appropriate coping strategies interventions.