• Allison R Webel, Dean Wantland, Carol Dawson Rose, Jeanne Kemppainen, William L Holzemer, Wei-Ti Chen, Mallory O Johnson, Patrice Nicholas, Lucille Sanzero Eller, Puangtip Chaiphibalsarisdi, Elizabeth Sefcik, Kathleen Nokes, Inge B Corless, Lynda Tyer-Viola, Kenn Kirksey, Joachim Voss, Kathy Sullivan, Marta Rivero-Méndez, John Brion, Scholastika Iipinge, J Craig Phillips, and Carmen Portillo.
• Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Electronic address: allison.webel@case.edu.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2015 Jul 1; 50 (1): 596859-68.

ContextIndividual resources of social capital and self-compassion are associated with health behaviors and perceived symptoms, suggesting that both are positive resources that can be modified to improve a person's symptom experience.ObjectivesThe aim was to examine the relationship between self-compassion and social capital and its impact on current HIV symptom experience in adult people living with HIV (PLWH). We further explored the impact of age on this relationship.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2182 PLWH at 20 sites in five countries. Social capital, self-compassion, and HIV symptom experience were evaluated using valid and reliable scales. To account for inflated significance associated with a large sample size, we took a random sample of 28% of subjects (n = 615) and conducted correlation analyses and zero-inflated Poisson regression, controlling for known medical and demographic variables impacting HIV symptom experience.ResultsControlling for age, sex at birth, year of HIV diagnosis, comorbid health conditions, employment, and income, our model significantly predicted HIV symptom experience (overall model z = 5.77, P < 0.001). Employment status and social capital were consistent, negative, and significant predictors of HIV symptom experience. Self-compassion did not significantly predict HIV symptom experience. For those reporting symptoms, an increase in age was significantly associated with an increase in symptoms.ConclusionEmployment and social capital modestly predicted current HIV symptom experience. Social capital can be incorporated into symptom management interventions, possibly as a way to reframe a person's symptom appraisal. This may be increasingly important as PLWH age. The relationship between employment status and HIV symptom experience was significant and should be explored further.Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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