The Effects Of Existential Attribution And Religiousness/Spirituality On Well -Being In Hiv Patients
Date of Award
2006
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
HIV is a serious illness that has received considerable attention in research literature addressing the implications of spirituality/religiousness on coping with this illness. Past research indicates that an individual's level of guilt over having contracted HIV is associated with feelings of stigmatization and suffering, which can influence his or her wellbeing in coping with the illness. The current study seeks to investigate the relationship between feelings of responsibility for illness (attributions) and engagement with religiousness/spiritual meaning as a coping resource. It is hypothesized that the use of existential attribution will moderate the relationship between an individual's religiousness/spirituality and his or her adjustment with HIV (wellbeing). Participants included 117 patients receiving active outpatient treatment for HIV at a medical center in a moderate size Mid-Western city. Each participant completed all questionnaires and participated in a 20 minute interview during a one-time meeting which coincided with an outpatient visit. Type of attributions made was assessed using the Subjective HIV Attributions interview (Clement, 1992), the Benefit finding scale (UnpublishedDissertation, Varney and Johnson, 1998), and a measure adapted from the qualitative interview study by Rudolph and Steins, (1998). Religiousness/Spirituality was assessed using the Ironson-Woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index (Ironson et al. 2002). Psychological adjustment was assessed using the Meaning subscale of the Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality for use in health Research (MMRS) (Fetzer Institute, 2003) and the FACT-G (Cella et al., 1992). Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that Existential attribution actually predicted decreased wellbeing overall. However, Existential attribution was found to positively moderate causal attribution in several areas of wellbeing. Finally, the HIV Attributions Scale developed in this study appears to have moderate usefulness in measuring Existential attribution in the HIV positive population.
Recommended Citation
Huggins-Rieke, Amy N., "The Effects Of Existential Attribution And Religiousness/Spirituality On Well -Being In Hiv Patients" (2006). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1081.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1081