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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2017 Dec;24(3-4):211–222. doi: 10.1007/s10880-017-9513-z

Table 1.

Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview Guide

1. Experience of the diagnosis
In this part, I will ask you about your experience when you first heard you were HIV+.
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    Please describe the experience of how you found out you were HIV+.

Additional prompts if necessary. Please make sure participant addresses the following:
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    When/how did you first learn you were HIV+?

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    Who told you?

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    What was your reaction to the news?

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    Who knows about your HIV status? How did they learn about it?

2. Impact of the diagnosis
In this part, I will ask you about the impact HIV has had on your life.
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    How has becoming HIV+ impacted you emotionally and psychologically?

Additional prompts if necessary. Please make sure participant addresses the following:
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    Experience with mental health problems, e.g.
    • Stigma
    • Adjustment: difficulty adjusting to HIV+ status?
    • Anxiety: being so worried or anxious that you’ve had difficulty doing things?
    • Depression: feeling sad and down? Suicidal thoughts?
    • Substance abuse: using alcohol and other drugs?
    • PTSD: avoidance?
3. Process of coping
In this part, I will ask you about what you have done to cope with your diagnosis.
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    What have you done to feel better since and/or respond to your HIV diagnosis?

Additional prompts if necessary. Please make sure participant addresses the following:
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    What kinds of resources have been accessed, e.g.,
    • ◦
      Family support
    • ◦
      Social network support
    • ◦
      Mental health services including counseling
    • ◦
      Traditional Chinese medicine
    • ◦
      Western medicine
4. Helpful resources
In this part, I will ask you about what you might want to tell someone else in your situation in order for them to learn from your experience.
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    What resources do you think would be helpful to someone else in your situation?

Additional prompts if necessary. Please make sure participant addresses the following:
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    Would it be helpful to talk about some of the issues you faced with someone in the clinic, such as a doctor, nurse, another patient, other patients’ families?

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    Would you bring a family member or other caregiver with you to access this resource?

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    Would it be feasible for you come into the clinic regularly in order to talk about the problems you have been dealing with?

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    What are some areas that you need the most assistance with?