Open AccessEmotional Experiences of Mothers Living With HIV and the Quest for Emotional Recovery
Author(s) -
Carmen Contreras,
Nancy Rumaldo,
Michael M. Lindeborg,
Milagros Mendoza,
David Roy Chen,
Olga Saldaña,
Milagros Wong,
Maribel Muñoz,
Elizabeth Schrier,
Leonid Lecca,
Arachu Castro,
Sonya Shin,
Anna Kasten Nelson
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the journal of the association of nurses in aids care/journal of the association of nurses in aids care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.636
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1552-6917
pISSN - 1055-3290
DOI - 10.1097/jnc.0000000000000051
Subject(s) - denial , sadness , psychology , emotional support , psychological resilience , meaning (existential) , childbirth , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychotherapist , developmental psychology , pregnancy , clinical psychology , social support , medicine , anger , family medicine , biology , genetics
Little evidence exists about the emotional experiences of mothers with HIV, and a better understanding is essential to support their emotional health and treatment adherence. We describe the emotional experiences of eight mothers who initiated antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy or within a few years of childbirth in Lima, Peru. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used, and the following themes emerged: (a) emotions involved in diagnosis and disclosure, (b) the meaning of motherhood with HIV, (c) the mothers' roles in seeking and maintaining relationships with partners and families, and (d) mechanisms for resilience and emotional recovery. Participants experienced sadness and denial after diagnosis, which gave way to emotional recovery. Participant abilities to find refuge in caring for children and coordinating support from loved ones proved to be essential. Participants recognized that intense emotions motivated them to seek creative solutions and cited personal growth as an important outcome.