Differential Associations Between Perceived and Objective Measurement of Distress Tolerance in Relation to Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence and Response Among HIV-Positive Individuals

• Assessed distress tolerance among an HIV + sample using self-report and behavioral measures
• Distress tolerance was significantly associated with pill count adherence and viral load
• Perceived distress tolerance was positively associated with pill count adherence
• Objective distress tolerance was associated with viral load status

The present study sought to extend prior work, showing an association between self-reported distress tolerance and self-reported antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence, by conducting a multimethod test of the association between distress tolerance and objective measures of ART adherence among a sample of 140 individuals (23.6% female) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Findings indicated that, after accounting for negative affectivity and ART side-effect severity, distress tolerance was significantly associated with pill count adherence as well as viral load. Specifically, a differential association was observed whereby self-reported distress tolerance was associated with pill count adherence, whereas behavioral distress tolerance was associated with viral load. Importantly, no associations were observed between either measure of distress tolerance and CD4 count. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of both behavioral and perceived distress tolerance assessment among patients with HIV as well as potential clinical implications related to the integration of distress tolerance-focused treatments into existing interventions for individuals with HIV.