The Role of Social Support in Immunocompetence Among 80 Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS in Santiago, Chile

This study examined the psychosocial variables of Social Support, specifically support from Friends (EASA) and Family (EASF), and their influence on the immunocompetence of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The research involved 80 adults in the AIDS stage, correlating their EASA and EASF scale s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Salinas-Quintana, Pedro J., Barría, Rodolfo, Cortés, Margarita, Barrales, Claudio
Format: Online
Language:spa
Published: Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas 2025
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Online Access:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/42988
Description
Summary:This study examined the psychosocial variables of Social Support, specifically support from Friends (EASA) and Family (EASF), and their influence on the immunocompetence of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The research involved 80 adults in the AIDS stage, correlating their EASA and EASF scale scores with immunological indicators such as CD4 cell counts, extracted from clinical records at Lucio Córdova Hospital in Santiago, Chile. Results revealed a significant correlation between EASA and CD4 cell count (Spearman > .37; p < .01), indicating a moderate positive association between social support from friends and immunocompetence. In contrast, no significant correlations were found with the Anxiety variable. These findings highlight the importance of social support, particularly from friends, in the context of HIV, suggesting that its immunomodulatory effect should be assessed alongside other psychosocial variables and disease-specific characteristics.