Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Thomas J. Johnson

Second Advisor

Liz O'Laughlin

Third Advisor

Kym Bennett

Abstract

HIV is a serious illness that has received considerable attention in research literature addressing the implications of religiousness/spirituality 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 111 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 (well-being). 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 scale (Clements, 1992), the Benefit finding scale (Varney, 1998), and a measure adapted from the qualitative interview study by Rudolph and Steins (1998). Religiousness/Spirituality was assessoo using the Ironson-Woods Spirituality /Religiousness Index (Ironson, Soloman, & Balbin, 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 F ACT-G IV (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 some usefulness in measuring Existential attribution in the HIV positive population.

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