Internalized HIV-Stigma, Mental Health, Coping and Perceived Social Support among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Aizawl District—A Pilot Study

Several studies have reported the independent roles of social support and emotion regulation in death anxiety. However, there is sparse literature on mediating role of emotion regulatory mechanisms in the link between social support and death anxiety. This study examined whether social support predicts multidimensional death anxiety as a function of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) among people living with HIV/AIDS. Participants were 186 people living with HIV/AIDS (mean age = 34.16 years, standard deviation = 11.16; 56.5% women) drawn from the HIV/AIDS care unit of a tertiary health care institution in south-eastern Nigeria. Data were obtained by means of self-report measures of death anxiety, social support, and emotion regulation. A serial mediation analysis was conducted using Model 6 of the Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS® which applies two mediators for each single analysis in a regression-based, path-analytical framework. The results showed that emotion regulation strategies, especially expressive suppression, was the indirect pathway through which social support from friends and significant others reduces death anxiety in aspects of death acceptance and death thoughts, but not for externally generated death anxiety and death finality. The mediation mechanism through family support was found for only death acceptance. Findings support existing mental health research and theories elucidating core social mechanisms of emotion regulation in relation to mental health and highlight the recognition of functional roles of multidimensional support in comprehensive case management services for helping people living with HIV/AIDS maintain their health. The study endorses improved social networks as part of the overall care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

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Changing access to mental health care and social support when people living with HIV/AIDS become service providers

AIDS Care ◽

10.1080/09540121.2014.940269 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 176-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alan Tai-Wai Li ◽

Joshua Wales ◽

Josephine Pui-Hing Wong ◽

Maureen Owino ◽

Yvette Perreault ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Service Providers ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

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HIV Stigma, Mental Health, and Alcohol Use Disorders among People Living with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans

Journal of Urban Health ◽

10.1007/s11524-019-00390-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 96 (6) ◽

pp. 878-888 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Erica A. Felker-Kantor ◽

Maeve E. Wallace ◽

Aubrey Spriggs Madkour ◽

Dustin T. Duncan ◽

Katherine Andrinopoulos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

New Orleans ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Hiv Stigma ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

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Cultural and linguistic adaptation of the multi-dimensional OXCAP-MH for outcome measurement of mental health among people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda: the Luganda version

Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s41687-021-00306-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kenneth R. Katumba ◽

Yoko V. Laurence ◽

Patrick Tenywa ◽

Joshua Ssebunnya ◽

Agata Laszewska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Care Providers ◽

English Version ◽

Validation Process ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

Abstract Background It is rare to find HIV/AIDS care providers in sub-Saharan Africa routinely providing mental health services, yet 8–30% of the people living with HIV have depression. In an ongoing trial to assess integration of collaborative care of depression into routine HIV services in Uganda, we will assess quality of life using the standard EQ-5D-5L, and the capability-based OxCAP-MH which has never been adapted nor used in a low-income setting. We present the results of the translation and validation process for cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the OxCAP-MH tool for people living with HIV/AIDS and depression in Uganda. Methods The translation process used the Concept Elaboration document, the source English version of OxCAP-MH, and the Back-Translation Review template as provided during the user registration process of the OxCAP-MH, and adhered to the Translation and Linguistic Validation process of the OxCAP-MH, which was developed following the international principles of good practice for translation as per the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research’s standards. Results The final official Luganda version of the OxCAP-MH was obtained following a systematic iterative process, and is equivalent to the English version in content, but key concepts were translated to ensure cultural acceptability, feasibility and comprehension by Luganda-speaking people. Conclusion The newly developed Luganda version of the OxCAP-MH can be used both as an alternative or as an addition to health-related quality of life patient-reported outcome measures in research about people living with HIV with comorbid depression, as well as more broadly for mental health research.

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Psychosocial Determinants of HIV Stigma among Men Who Have Sex with Men in San Francisco, California

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18158031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (15) ◽

pp. 8031

Author(s):

Dharma N. Bhatta ◽

Jennifer Hecht ◽

Shelley N. Facente

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

San Francisco ◽

Age Groups ◽

Hiv Stigma ◽

Hiv Care ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adjusted Risk ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Living With Hiv

Background: Stigma and discrimination are major challenges faced by people living with HIV (PLWH), and stigma continues to be prevalent among PLWH. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 584 men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV between July 2018 and December 2020, designed to better understand which demographic and behavioral characteristics of MSM living with HIV in San Francisco, California are associated with experience of stigma, so that programs and initiatives can be tailored appropriately to minimize HIV stigma’s impacts. Methods: This analysis was conducted with data from San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) encompassing services from multiple different locations in San Francisco. Data about the level of HIV-related stigma experienced were collected through a single question incorporated into programmatic data collection forms at SFAF as part of the client record stored in SFAF’s electronic health record. We performed linear regression to determine the associations between self-reported experiences of HIV stigma and other characteristics among MSM living with HIV. Results: HIV stigma was low overall among MSM living with HIV who are actively engaged in HIV care in San Francisco; however, it was significantly higher for the age groups of 13–29 years (adjusted risk difference (ARD): 0.251, 95% CI: 0.012, 0.489) and 30–49 years (ARD: 0.205, 95% CI: 0.042, 0.367) when compared to the age group of 50 years and older, as well as people who were homeless (ARD: 0.844, 95% CI: 0.120, 1.568), unstably housed (ARD: 0.326, 95% CI: 0.109, 0.543) and/or having mental health concerns (ARD: 0.309, 95% CI: 0.075, 0.544), controlling for race, injection history, and viral load. Conclusions: These findings highlight an opportunity to develop culturally, socially, and racially appropriate interventions to reduce HIV stigma among MSM living with HIV, particularly for younger men and those struggling with housing stability and/or mental health.

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Social Support and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x211030046 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0192513X2110300

Author(s):

Charles MS. Birore ◽

Liyun Wu ◽

Tina Abrefa-Gyan ◽

Marilyn W. Lewis

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Support ◽

Immune Deficiency Syndrome ◽

Deficiency Syndrome ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

Utilization of antiretroviral therapies (ART) prolongs life and heightens ability to engage in productive activities among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study implemented a 6-week long Social Care Intervention (SCI) Program in Ghana and identified protective factors associated with Quality of Life (QoL) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We discovered that SCI model in the form of social support associated positively with differences in the QoL among PLWHA. Logistic regression revealed that social support, especially affectionate support, was positively associated with a higher level of QoL. People who were older and healthier tended to have higher levels of QoL compared with their counterparts who were younger and sicker. These findings suggest that building social support system can serve as an empowerment approach to promote quality of life among PLWHA in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources are limited.

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