Phyllis Shanley Hansell

THE EFFECT OF A SOCIAL SUPPORT BOOSTING INTERVENTION ON STRESS, COPING, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH HIV/AIDS

BACKGROUND Caring for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected child is challenging and affects the entire family system. Studies have shown that social support can mitigate caregiver stress and enhance coping; however, social support may not always result in a positive outcome for the recipient. OBJECTIVES To measure caregiver stress, coping, and social support, and to test the effect of a social support boosting intervention on levels of stress, coping, and social support among caregivers of children with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). METHODS An experimental design was used with monthly social support boosting interventions implemented. The stratified randomized sample included 70 primary caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS. The sample strata were seropositive caregivers (biological parents) and seronegative caregivers (foster parents and extended family members). Study measures included the Derogatis Stress Profile, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, and the Tilden Interpersonal Relationship Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measure MANOVA. RESULTS Statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found on changes in the dependent variables over time when caregiver strata were included as a factor in the analysis; no statistically significant results were found when caregiver strata were combined. Univariate Ftests indicated that the level of social support for caregivers who were seronegative in the experimental group was significantly different from seronegative caregivers in the control group and seropositive caregivers in both groups. No significant treatment group differences were found for seropositive caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Seronegative caregivers derived substantial benefit from the social support boosting intervention. Seronegative caregivers who acquire a child with HIV/AIDS are confronted with a complex stressful situation; the critical need to enhance their social support is achievable through the intervention tested in this study.

Thoughts About Advancement of the Discipline: Dark Clouds and Bright Lights:

In this essay, several nurse scholars who are particularly concerned about the contemporary state of nursing science present their specific concerns (dark clouds) about the advancement of our discipline and the ways in which the concerns have been addressed (bright lights). This essay is the first of two essays that were catalyzed by Barrett’s paper, “Again, What Is Nursing Science?” The second essay will be published in the next issue Nursing Science Quarterly.

Thoughts About Nursing Curricula: Dark Clouds and Bright Lights:

In this essay, several nurse scholars who are particularly concerned about the contemporary state of nursing science present their concerns about the inclusion of nursing conceptual models and theories in the curricula of nursing programs (dark clouds) and ways in which the concerns have been addressed (bright lights). This essay is the second of two essays that were catalyzed by Barrett’s paper, “Again, What Is Nursing Science?” The first essay was published in the previous issue of Nursing Science Quarterly.

Grantsmanship in Nursing

ever, regardless of the source of the problem the proposal development process requires a thorough exploration of all completed research on the topic, a clear operationalization of the study variables, and the selection of a design that controls for extraneous variables and holds the potential for replication.2 Thus, in order for a reseach proposal to be sound it must be grounded in theory and hold the potential to serve as a basis for subsequent research. It is therefore important for the researcher to critically review the literature and then summarize the completed work in order to link the proposed research with the body of existing literature. After the research problem has been explored within the context of completed research on the subject, and prior to the actual writing of the proposal, the researcher needs to consider a number of