HUMAN ASSOCIATION AND WELLNESS OF HOMOSEXUAL MEN WITH HIV INFECTION: A GROUNDED THEORY (IMMUNE DEFICIENCY, SUPPORT GROUPS).
Contributors: Georgia State University.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 407
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Psychology, Clinical.
Description: The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of human association and wellness, focusing on the meanings, views, and perspectives of homosexual men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in community support groups. The research design was a qualitative grounded theory design consisting of successive iteration of four elements: theoretical sampling, intensive interviewing, inductive analysis of the data using the constant comparative method, and development of grounded theory. The sample consisted of 29 homosexual males with HIV infection who had experience in at least one community HIV support group. Open-ended interviews were completed with each participant. Second interviews were completed with 15 of the participants, for a total of 44 interviews. Participants experienced a range of HIV symptomatology, from being asymptomatic to terminal. Six major themes were identified in the data: intimacy, alienation, self process, group process, synergistic community, and personal and societal conditions. Three grounded theory models were developed: (a) "The Alienation Model of Group Experience," (b) "The Intimacy Model of Synergistic Community," and (c) "The Model of Human Association and Wellness." Conclusions were presented as working hypotheses. Study findings were compared with extant sources in the theoretical literature, and further abstraction of the data occurred yielding the major conclusion of the study: Expanding consciousness in synergistic community is the natural progression of self in intimate I-me/other human associations, whereas illness and social fragmentation is the consequence of the self in alienating I-other human associations. Results are discussed, and recommendations for nursing practice, research, and theory development are given.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-06, Section: B, page: 2785.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, 1991.

School code: 0079.