As the AIDS epidemic has unfolded, it has caused adverse psycho social and economic consequences leading to a disruption in the personal, familial life of the infected individuals specifically and the society in general. The present study was an attempt to see the impact of schemas on the quality of life among HIV female patients, besides the study also incorporated the role of social connectedness as mediator. For data collection, 20 HIV female patients (disease stage 1 and 2) were taken for the present study from the specialized HIV clinic of RahimyarKhan City, Pakistan. Furthermore, the data was obtained through these standardized instruments’Urdu versions; Schema Mode Inventory (short version SMI; Riaz, Khalilay& Kalsoom, 2013), WHOQOL-HIV BREF (Ahmed & Saqlain, 2020) and Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R; Fatima, 2014). The results showed a strong impact of individuals’ schemas on the quality of life. The study also provided an understanding of the positive role of social connectedness as mediator to enhance the quality of life of HIV female patients. Studies show that social connectedness plays a significant role of mediator in the relationship between schemas and quality of life. It has been reported that people with low self-esteem are less friendly with reduced communications to other people making it possible to develop adequateand close relationships (e.g., family, friends and romantic relationships), and are emotionally lessexpressive, revealing less information about themselves (Cuming& Rapee, 2010). Social connectedness works as a sociometery that provides an individual with a sense of being loved and appreciated by people. Therefore, when these female HIV patients feel less valued they feelless socially connected, which leads to isolation, loneliness and different type of mental health problems and poor quality of life (Dang, 2014; Foster et al., 2017; Lee, Draper, & Lee, 2001).
Keywords: Quality of life, Schemas, Social connectedness, Mediator, HIV female patients