Presentation Abstract

Level of Burden among Women with HIV. V. Brown, L. Melchior, & G. Huba.

Introduction: Women living with HIV often have multiple issues they must deal with in addition to HIV/AIDS. Based on a model proposed by Brown, Huba, & Melchior (1995), this presentation will examine multiple issues confronting women with HIV disease. The presentation will examine level of burden among clients of a settlement house program for women living with HIV in Los Angeles.

Project Description: Level of burden will be operationalized as a series of factors including health status, substance abuse, mental health, history of violence/abuse, and other related issues. These factors will be related to intermediate outcomes, such as service utilization and referral patterns, as well as more ultimate outcomes of quality of life, adjustment, and health status.

Results: Among a sample of 302 women with HIV, 22% were identified as having injected drugs. Approximately two-thirds of clients had scores above the clinical cutpoint on an 8-item version of the CES-D. The conference presentation covers issues including health status, substance abuse, mental health, history of violence/abuse, and other related issues among the women.

Implications: Exploring the level of burden from the client perspective is important for several reasons. First, individuals with three of four disorders, such as HIV/AIDS, drug and/or alcohol abuse, mental illness, cognitive impairment, and other health problems, experience continuous challenges to their self-esteem from the negative images and the social stigma associated with the illnesses. Second, understanding the level of burden on the client may help caregiving staff understands how to intervene when the client exhibits "noncompliance" with treatment or a poor connection with treatment providers. Third, this understanding can also contribute to the development of interventions to help staff, family members, and the larger community.

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