Positive effects of trauma among people living with human immunodeficiency virus – the role of rumination and coping strategies

Purpose
The study aimed to establish the role of rumination and coping strategies in the occurrence of the positive effects of trauma (in the form of posttraumatic growth) resulting from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Methods
The results of 64 people (out of 120 covered by the study), who indicated that HIV diagnosis was a traumatic event for them, were analysed. The study group consisted of members of the support group for people living with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a city in central Poland, patients participating in therapy at the Centre for Addiction Treatment who reported after obtaining seropositive status, and boarders at the Readaptation Centre. The age of the participants ranged from 20-58 years (M = 38.2, SD = 9.16). The following Polish versions of standardized tools were used: Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – PTGI, Event Related Rumination Inventory – ERRI, measuring two types of ruminations: intrusive and deliberate and short version of Coping Inventory – Mini-Cope.

Results
Ruminations were not directly associated with the intensity of posttraumatic growth. The conducted path analysis indicated that such coping strategies, as the seeking of emotional support, active coping and turning to religion play a mediating role between deliberate ruminations and the prevalence of positive posttraumatic changes in general and in particular factors.

Conclusions
Ruminations do not correlate directly with posttraumatic growth resulting from HIV infection, however they have impact on its level indirectly through the coping strategies.