Keele University
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Research Programme
The HIV population is ageing: estimates are that by 2015, half of people living with HIV in the west will be aged 50 and above. This is due both to effective medications that extend the lives of those living with HIV, and the growing proportion of older persons with HIV who acquired (and, often, were diagnosed with) HIV in later life. The HIV community is also diversifying, increasingly comprised of people of Black African background, and of people who identify as heterosexual. The older HIV community is thus diversified along such important lines as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and time spent living with HIV. Yet despite this growing and diversifying older population, we still lack knowledge about its members’ experiences of living with HIV; their social support networks; and the effects of these on their mental health and quality of life. To provide insight into these areas, the study will gather qualitative and quantitative data to explore
- the mental health, psychosocial, and social support needs and resources of older people living with HIV, and how they differ according to gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and time since acquisition/diagnosis
- how the personal and medical histories and circumstances of older people living with HIV affect the meaning, management and impact of HIV on, and quality of life in, later years, and
- how knowledge gained from the research can inform policy and practice.
The research is organised into four overlapping but distinct ‘phases’, which will be pursued over 24 months. This is outlined in the Hall Timeline. Findings from each phase will shape issues explored in subsequent phases. We will recruit for the last three phases of research from community organisation in London, and from our three core NHS clinic sites: Homerton University Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and South Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Centre. For further information, see the Hall PowerPoint presentation.
