Award Date

May 2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Renato (Rainier) Liboro

Second Committee Member

Rachael Robnett

Third Committee Member

Lianne Barnes

Fourth Committee Member

Jason Flatt

Number of Pages

135

Abstract

Since the height of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, medical interventions have significantly increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and made HIV/AIDS a livable, chronic health condition. Because of this, PLWH have been living longer lives and thriving with the help of HIV sector healthcare and service providers. However, with their longer life expectancy, older PLWH have been experiencing other health challenges. One such challenge is the risk of developing HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND), which is a condition that affects up to 50% of PLWH at some point in their lifetime, with middle-aged and older PLWH being most at risk. In this three-paper dissertation, the awareness and knowledge of the specific risk of PLWH developing or experiencing neurocognitive challenges as they age as a result of HAND among relevant study participants (i.e., middle-age and older PLWH and their HIV sector providers) from Southern Nevada are examined and discussed in the first two papers. Looking beyond the risks aging PLWH face, the third paper of this three-paper dissertation takes on a more strengths-focused approach to examining the circumstances and experiences of study participants. It directs its attention to the inherent resilience of PLWH, specifically the resilience of middle-aged and older men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV/AIDS, the subpopulation of PLWH that has inarguably been impacted the most and the longest by HIV/AIDS since the global pandemic started in the 1980s.

Keywords

Aging; Healthcare; HIV; HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder; Resilience to HIV/AIDS; Southern Nevada

Disciplines

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Psychiatric and Mental Health | Psychology | Public Health

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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