Abstract
Abstract: HIV diagnosis and treatment are traumatic events, which may translate to positive growth and affect health outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH). We hypothesized that the pathway between positive growth and health-related quality of life was impacted by event centrality (EC; how much HIV is integrated into self-definition). Two hundred and one PLWH in Nigeria who had been diagnosed/treated for at least 1 year completed measures of posttraumatic growth, EC, and health-related quality of life. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate relationships between variables of interest. Growth from the trauma of HIV was significantly associated with improved mental health and relationship. Patients who highly centralized identity on HIV had poorer scores for mental health, relationship, and treatment impact and had less traumatic growth. EC moderated the relationship between posttraumatic growth and mental health, social relationship, and treatment impact. Clinicians should ask how PLWH think about events related to diagnosis and treatment when assessing quality of life.