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Sunday, 17 November 2013: 2:45 PM
Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the importance of spirituality in young adults.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to discuss the importance of including spiritual practices in treatment plan of young adults living with HIV.
The empirical evidence of the relationship between religion and spirituality on health outcomes, including adjustment to chronic illnesses, continues to grow. The literature findings indicate a relationship between spirituality and level of depression, quality of life and medication adherence. The aim of this pilot study was to understand the role of spirituality in young adults living with HIV/AIDS using a grounded theory approach. Specifically, beliefs, behaviors, and roles used to live longterm HIV will be explored. Eight young adults from an outpatient HIV clinic were interviewed and observed during a clinic visit. Strategies to generate grounded theory were used, including open coding, categorization, constant comparison, mapping, theoretical sampling and theory development, as well as peer review. This study adds to the nascent body of knowledge of spirituality in young adults living with chronic illness providing useful information for future research and clinical practice.