Meaningfulness in life among HIV positive patients: Implications for enhancing subjective wellbeing and reducing depression

Pages:11-16
Parwinder Singh (Department of Psychology, Punjabi University Patiala)
Ravinder Yadav (Medical Social Worker, Chandigarh)

AIDS brings suffering. Resulting multiple, severe, and unrelenting stressors may profoundly affect the individual’s Quality of life and Subjective well being . Some positive psychologiCal dimensions needs to be explored that if incorporated into those patients’ life style,can prepare them to fight with their disease. Keeping this goal in mind, the present study was designed to explore the effect of meaningfulness among HIV positive patients on their subjective well being and depression. It was hypothesized that individuals high on meaningfulness would be higher on subjective well being and lower on depression as compared to individuals low on the same.For this purpose, 80 HIV positive patients , with mean age of 37.14 years were selected randomly from an ART center based in chandigarh . Meaning in Life Questionnaire , The subjective Well Being Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II were administered and data was analyzed with the help of ANOVAs & coefficients of correlations . Result shows that patients with high meaningfulness in life tend to experience significantly higher subjective well being and less negative emotional state, i.e., depression as compared to those with low meaningfulness in life. Results were then discussed in the light of previous literature and implications for further studies were made.