Design: Data were analyzed from the “Get Busy Living” (GBL) Project, an HIV treatment adherence randomized controlled study. Intervention and outcome variable: A nurse counseling, motivational interviewing intervention was done to determine if it enhances medication adherence among HIV+ persons. Population, setting, sample: A convenience sample of 247 HIV+ men and women from an infectious disease clinic in metro-Atlanta was used. Baseline data were analyzed using SPSS 11.5. Methods: Descriptive, correlational statistics, and ANOVA were calculated to identify significant relationships and to compare means among men and women. Multiple linear regression statistics were computed to identify predictors of HRQOL.

Results: The mean age was 41.2 (SD 7.63) years and the sample was primarily male (69%) and African-American (87%). Spiritual beliefs were ‘very important' to 56% of the sample and the mean SWB score was 94.2 (SD 18.05). There were significant group differences between HIV+ men and women in mean SWB scores. Women had higher mean depression scores than men, but those group differences were not significant. Men had significantly greater mean HRQOL than women. There were significant inverse relationships between SWB and depression and between depression and HRQOL. There was a significant positive relationship between SWB and HRQOL. SWB and depression were the only two significant predictors of HRQOL.

Conclusions: Spiritual beliefs and practices are important to HIV+ persons and, on average, they have high SWB. On average, HIV+ women have significantly higher mean SWB than HIV+ men. HIV+ men report a better HRQOL than HIV+ women. SWB and depression are significant predictors of HRQOL.

Nursing Practice Implications: Nurses should address the spiritual and mental health needs of HIV+ persons to promote HRQOL.