Profiles of subjective well-being among people living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to examine subjective well-being (SWB) profiles and their sociodemographic and clinical correlates among people living with HIV (PLWH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The participants were 663 PLWH undergoing antiretroviral treatment. Their SWB was evaluated using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Sociodemographic and clinical covariates, together with COVID-19 distress, were assessed with a self-report survey. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis revealed four SWB profiles: average negative, average positive, flourishing and languishing. The languishing profile was the worse in terms of values of SWB components and had a relative overrepresentation of PLWH who were single, without a university degree, and not employed for money. The pandemic-related distress was positively related to being a member of average negative and languishing profiles. Gender and age had no significant effect on either profile membership or directly on the SWB components. CONCLUSION: It seems that in the context of chronic illness and socially shared stressful circumstances, which was the COVID-19 pandemic, the components of SWB among PLWH developed rather congruent profiles. Sociodemographic, but not clinical characteristics were found to be significant correlates of belonging to obtained SWB profiles in this sample. The most striking effect with this regards was obtained for the members of the languishing profile, defined by the co-occurrence of low positive affect, low satisfaction with life, and high negative affect.