Resilience, Social Support, and Quality of Life Among HIV/AIDS Positive Individuals

HIV/AIDS remains a critical public health concern worldwide, with Central Asia reporting a 150% rise in infections.In Pakistan, low literacy, poor healthcare access, and limited awareness of prevention and transmission contribute to the spread of HIV infection, while stigma and discrimination negatively affect psychological and social well-being.This study is aimed at exploring any significant difference in resilience, social support, and quality of life among HIV/AIDS positive individuals in Lahore, Pakistan.A cross-sectional research design was employed, with a sample size of 300, aged 18 to 65 years, who were recruited from Punjab AIDS Control Program centers.Standardized measures were administered, and one-way ANOVA was applied to assess gender differences.The findings of this study illustrate that resilience is significantly different between males and transgender individuals.Reportedly, transgender participants had low resilience as compared to males.Females reported poorer quality of life as compared to males.However, nonsignificant difference was found in social support across all genders.Keywords.Resilience, social support, quality of life, gender, and HIV/AIDS positive individuals HIV remains a serious public health issue that has claimed the lives of approximately 39.9 million people worldwide.In 2023 alone, 0.63 million people died from AIDS-related causes, while 1.3 million new HIV cases were reported.By the end of 2023, an estimated 40.6 million people were living with HIV/AIDS.Furthermore, restrictions placed on healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed significantly to increased deaths and the spread of HIV infections across several countries (UNAIDS, 2023).HIV is considered a life-threatening disease and is still incurable.Fortunately, it is manageable with Antiretroviral therapy (ART).After