Perceived discrimination and mental health symptoms among Black men with HIV

Bibliographic Data

ID8066569
AuthorsLaura M Bogart (0000-0003-3182-5542, Boston Children's Hospital, corresponding author), Glenn J Wagner (0000-0001-9081-3299, RAND Corporation), Frank H Galván (0000-0003-2963-9644, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science), Hope Landrine (0000-0003-4774-1108, East Carolina University), David J Klein (0000-0001-5022-5839, Boston Children's Hospital), Laurel A Sticklor (Boston Children's Hospital)
Year2011
Volume17
Issue3
Pages295-302
Publication date2011-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1099-9809 • E-ISSN: 1939-0106
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1037/a0024056
PMID21787061
PMCIDPMC3148695
OpenAlexW2095556572
LanguageEN
Citations received102
References cited32

People living with HIV (PLWH) exhibit more severe mental health symptoms, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, than do members of the general public. We examined whether perceived discrimination, which has been associated with poor mental health in prior research, contributes to greater depression and PTSD symptoms among HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men (MSM), who are at high risk for discrimination from multiple stigmatized characteristics (HIV-serostatus, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation). A total of 181 Black MSM living with HIV completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI) that included measures of mental health symptoms (depression, PTSD) and scales assessing perceived discrimination due to HIV-serostatus, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In bivariate tests, all three perceived discrimination scales were significantly associated with greater symptoms of depression and PTSD (i.e., reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal subscales; all p values < .05). The multivariate model for depression yielded a three-way interaction among all three discrimination types (p < .01), indicating that perceived racial discrimination was negatively associated with depression symptoms when considered in isolation from other forms of discrimination, but positively associated when all three types of discrimination were present. In multivariate tests, only perceived HIV-related discrimination was associated with PTSD symptoms (p < .05). Findings suggest that some types of perceived discrimination contribute to poor mental health among PLWH. Researchers need to take into account intersecting stigmata when developing interventions to improve mental health among PLWH

Depression (economics · Ethnic group · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV · Mental health · Minority stress · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Serostatus · Sexual minority · Sexual orientation · Clinical Psychology · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology