Positive psychological attributes have been associated with better health outcomes and quality of life among people with HIV (PWH). Recently, we identified two latent factors (internal strengths, socioemotional support) among 7 positive psychological attributes through factor analysis (Ham et al., 2022). Depression was inversely associated with both factors. Our current aim was to investigate associations between these latent factors, neurocognition, and daily functioning among PWH.

106 PWH and 90 HIV- participants were included in cross-sectional analyses (Mage = 51.3, 77% men, 60% White). Seven positive psychological questionnaires, a neuropsychological battery covering 7 domains, two daily functioning questionnaires (Patient’s Assessment of Own Functioning (PAOFI); Independent Activities of Daily Living (IADL)), and a depression symptom questionnaire (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) were administered. Internal strengths and socioemotional support composite z-scores were calculated using HIV- participants’ scores as reference. Outcomes included global and domain-specific neurocognitive T-scores (demographically-adjusted), global deficit score (GDS), number of functional impairments (PAOFI), and number of functional declines (IADL). Main effects of HIV status, latent factors, and their interaction were included in linear (neurocognition) and Poisson (daily functioning) regressions. Significant interactions were followed up by simple effects analyses and nonsignificant interactions were removed. Depressive symptoms and demographics associated with daily functioning were included as covariates.

PWH exhibited worse neurocognitive performance (global, executive functioning, processing speed, learning, recall, GDS) and reported greater functional difficulties and depressive symptoms compared to HIV-counterparts (ps < 0.05). For neurocognition, there were socioemotional support x HIV status (B = 2.39, p = 0.04) and internal strengths x HIV status (B = 2.70, p < 0.05) interactions on verbal fluency, accounting for depressive symptoms, such that only PWH had a positive association between socioemotional support and verbal fluency (B = 1.97, p = 0.01). Removing nonsignificant interactions, there was a main effect of socioemotional support on global cognition (B = 1.01, p = 0.04) and psychomotor speed (B = 1.83, p = 0.02), independent of HIV status and depressive symptoms. For daily functioning, there was a socioemotional support x HIV status interaction on IADL declines (B = 0.42, p = 0.02), accounting for depressive symptoms and education, such that only HIV- participants had an inverse relationship between socioemotional support and IADL declines (B = -0.64, p < 0.001). Removing non-significant interactions, there were main effects of internal strengths on PAOFI impairments (B = -0.36, p < 0.001) and IADL declines (B = -0.38, p < 0.001), independent of HIV status and depressive symptoms.

Among PWH, both positive psychological factors were associated with better neurocognition, even after adjusting for depressive symptomatology. Though internal strengths were associated with better daily functioning regardless of HIV status, socioemotional support was not related to daily functioning in PWH. While mechanisms underlying these associations cannot be established cross-sectionally, it is possible that among people with medical illnesses complicated by cognitive disturbance, positive psychological factors relate to improved health-related behaviors (e.g., better disease management). Additionally, better neurocognition, including cognitive reserve, may engender greater resilience and improved ability to marshal social support.