Search

An analysis of differences in marital status in depressive symptoms, to examine the influence of race/ethnicity and sex, confirms that the separated and divorced exhibit higher levels of depression and lower levels of distress, respectively. Differences were insignificant among Mexican Americans and blacks. Married black women exhibited higher levels of distress than their never-married counterparts.

In order to examine the relative importance of general individual orientations (mastery and self-esteem) and specific coping styles with regard to psychological distress among women with HIV, data are examined from a pilot study involving in-depth face-to-face interviews with 32 HIV+ Latinas receiving care at 4 clinics serving the South Texas population. Interviews were conducted to provide preliminary psychometric information on coping and distress instruments in this predominantly Mexican American population as well as to examine psychosocial factors related to individual adjustment to HIV among Latina females. Refusal rates were low in this study (approximately 10%) and measurement instruments generally had acceptable internal consistency reliability. Results of exploratory multiple regression analyses suggest that self-esteem and mastery may be more salient predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms than are specific coping strategies.