Psychosocial adjustment of Native Hawaiian women living with HIV/AIDS: the central role of affective bonds.

Ethno cultural influences on the psychosocial construction and lived experience of HIV/AIDS in Native Hawaiian women were examined in two exploratory studies. It is proposed that the quality, maintenance, and restoration of affective interpersonal bonds is a central organizing theme affecting the perceptions, interpretations, affective experiences, and motivations underlying the women's experience of HIV/AIDS. Qualitative analyses of verbatim transcriptions identified the role of affective interpersonal bonds in several key areas including stigma, shame and disclosure decisions, the meaning of infection, access to and experience of health and social services, and personal growth and development. The role of ethno cultural influences in psychological growth models is discussed and future research directions are offered.