Coping and Burden Among Informal HIV Caregivers

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the role of coping on caregiver burden among a heterogeneous group of caregivers of persons living with HIV during the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Methods: Burden and coping were examined among 176 caregivers of persons living with HIV. Three styles of coping were examined using a 7-item scale: active-approach (task), blame–withdrawal (emotion), and distancing (avoidance). Results: A total of 58.8 % of the caregivers were women. They had a mean age of 42 years; 61.9 % cohabited with the persons living with HIV who had a mean CD4 count of 401. All three styles of coping were significantly positively correlated with caregiver burden. After controlling for demographic variables and caregiver depression, active-approach coping and distancing coping independently moderated the relationship between perceived severity of HIV-related symptoms (stress) and caregiver burden; however, some caregivers experienced burden even at low levels of stress. Conclusions: These results indicate that in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, coping mitigates the effect of stress o