Our understanding of the nature of HIV/AIDS and its physical and psychological effects on HIV-positive individuals has changed considerably over the last twenty years. Medical advances have elicited changes in the conceptualization of the experience of living with HIV. Some social science research has shifted focus from a purely pathological framework to one that acknowledges coping processes. Resilience is a relatively new area of mental health research and has previously not been explored in regard to HIV/AIDS. Resiliency is defined as the "ability to overcome adversity, survive stress, and rise above disadvantage" (Valentine & Feinauer, 1993, p. 222) and appears to reflect the presence of the following factors: (1) Reasoning Abilities, (2) Internal Locus of Control, (3) Advocacy, (4) Positive Outlook, and (5) Spiritual Orientation
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative measure of resiliency for people living with HIV/AIDS. The 28-item R-PLA (Resiliency in People Living with HIV/AIDS) measure was developed based on the theoretical and research literature regarding the resiliency construct. One hundred forty-five participants completed the R-PLA along with depression, self-esteem, social support from family and friends, and health locus of control measures. The data were analyzed using LISREL and SPSS statistical software
A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on three competing models of resiliency. A five-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model. However, the higher order model fit the data well and was theoretically consistent with the resiliency literature. The R-PLA also demonstrated good test-retest reliability and each of the five subscales was correlated with the others to a moderate or high degree. The R-PLA was found to be significantly correlated to the self-esteem, depression, health locus of control, and social support from friends measure. No significant correlation was found between the R-PLA and social support from family. Clinical and research implications were discussed as were the limitations of this study
