Coping styles and quality of life in people with HIV/AIDS: a review

In the midst of the dramatic global escalation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the relative longevity of patients continues to increase. The success with which one manages to cope with the continuous stress attached to HIV/AIDS impacts directly on one’s quality of life. It is therefore of major importance to determine which coping styles correlate positively with quality of life in people with HIV/AIDS. In general, the research literature indicates that problem-focused, active coping styles are superior to emotion-focused, passive coping styles, including avoidance. However, interesting contradictory findings have come to light in South Africa, namely that an avoidantcoping style also seems to be beneficial in the African socio-cultural context.