The Role of Social Support and Psychological Resources in Depression in People Living with HIV/AIDS: Examining the Mediating Role of Mastery and Self esteem
The present study explored the influence of social support and psychological resources on depression in people living with HIV/AIDS. The mediating role of mastery and self esteem was examined. Factor analysis of the MOS SSS supported three dimensions of social support. Findings from a predominantly gay male sample of unemployed individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Toronto area indicated high levels of depressive symptomatology, which were negatively related to emotional/informational support, tangible support, and affectionate/interpersonal support. Mediation analyses indicated partial support of the Cognitive Adaptation Model, revealing significant mediating effects of mastery on the relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology. Self esteem was not found to be a significant mediator of this relationship. Findings suggest the need for social support interventions that help to strengthen mastery in individuals living with HIV/AIDS in order to reduce depression. Attention should be paid to self esteem and its relationship with gender and employment status in this population. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Joseph Roy Gillis, for his invaluable support and guidance throughout this project. He has been one of my strongest advocates over the past two years. Thank you as well to my second reader, Dr. Niva Piran, for her guidance and kindness. My additional thanks goes to the staff and faculty at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for their letters of support and encouraging words during challenging times. I would like to thank Andrea Reynolds and Allyson Ion for their invaluable help with the literature review. Thank you to Olesya Falenchuk for her statistical genius and patience with my analyses. A special thank you to Dr. Sean Rourke and Sergio Rueda for their generosity and for introducing me to such a rich and vital area of research. A very special thank you to Ursula Wiprzycka for the many late night phone calls and statistical hand holding throughout this process. Finally, thank you to my wonderful husband for your love and patience, and to my friends and family for your ongoing support and cheerleading. You have all contributed significantly to this work. iv Table of