Examining Stress-related Growth and Coping as Predictors of Sadness in Hiv+ Indian Adults: Some Preliminary Findings

The present study examined the role of stress-related growth and emotion-focused coping in predicting sadness among HIV positive Indian adults. Indeed, findings indicated that both stress-related growth and emotionfocused coping were significant in predicting sadness. Importantly, we found that emotion-focused coping behaviors augmented the prediction of sadness beyond stress-related growth. Specifically, several emotionfocused coping behaviors, namely, self-distraction, denial, and venting, emerged as significant unique predictors of sadness, beyond stress-related growth. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.