Treatment Adherence, Resilience and Illness Perception in People with HIV

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate predictive variables of adherence to antiretroviral treatment among sociodemographic, clinical and psychological aspects (resilience and perception of disease) in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Participants were 155 patients, 72.9% men. Interview scripts about sociodemographic and clinical aspects and validated instruments for the Brazilian population were applied. Three variables were predictors of adherence: resilience, perceived illness as a negative predictor, and age, with 29% explained variance. The study has implications for the practice of psychologists and health teams working in the field, based on the implementation of adherence and self-care interventions, as well as adaptation and resilience in people living with HIV.