Examining HIV Stigma, Depression, Stress, and Recent Stimulant Use in a Sample of Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV: An Application of the Stigma and Substance Use Process Model.
Stephanie A MeyersS LammertH J RendinaO ShalhavA J TalanL R SmithE V PitpitanK J HorvathPublished in: AIDS and behavior (2021)
Sexual minority men (SMM) with HIV are disproportionately impacted by stigma and mental health disorders. Guided by the Stigma and Substance Use Process Model, we evaluated how HIV stigma impacts mental health outcomes among SMM with HIV. Data were drawn from Thrive With Me, an RCT of an mHealth intervention targeting ART adherence among SMM with HIV. Path analyses tested the relationships between HIV stigma, depression, stress, and recent stimulant use. Overall, 49.1% (194/401) had depression symptoms, 68.8% (276/401) had moderate-to-high stress, and 28.1% (111/401) had detectable stimulant use in urine samples at baseline. In path analyses, baseline internalized HIV stigma was associated with depression and stress 5-months post-baseline and enacted stigma was associated with recent stimulant use 11-months post-baseline. We identified internalized and enacted HIV stigma, but not anticipated stigma, as potentially important intervention targets for stimulant use, depression, and stress among SMM with HIV.
Keyphrases
- hiv aids
- mental health
- antiretroviral therapy
- hiv positive
- hiv infected
- human immunodeficiency virus
- hiv testing
- mental illness
- hepatitis c virus
- social support
- men who have sex with men
- depressive symptoms
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- south africa
- sleep quality
- randomized controlled trial
- type diabetes
- machine learning
- adipose tissue
- high intensity
- deep learning
- electronic health record
- skeletal muscle
- metabolic syndrome
- middle aged