Trajectories of Posttraumatic Growth Following HIV Infection: Does One PTG Pattern Exist?

The aim of this study was to examine the heterogeneity of change of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among people living with HIV (PLWH) in a 1-year prospective study. The goal was also to identify sociodemographic and clinical covariates and differences in baseline coping strategies. Particularly, time since diagnosis and positive reframing coping were of special interest. The sample consisted of 115 people with medically confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection. The participants filled out paper-and-pencil questionnaires three times with an interval of 6 months, including also sociodemographic and clinical data. Four trajectories of PTG were identified: curvilinear, low stable, high stable, and rapid change. Participants’ gender, education level, CD4 count and time since HIV diagnosis occurred to be significant covariates of class membership. Positive reframing and self-distraction differentiated only between the high stable and the rapid change trajectory, with lower values in the latter. The study results call for attention to the complexity of PTG patterns in a face of struggling with HIV infection. Specifically, interventions in clinical practice should take into account the fact that there is no single pattern of PTG that fits all PLWH and that these differences may be related to the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as to coping strategies representing meaning-making mechanism.