Rural HIV Stigma: It’s Not What We Thought It Was
Abstract
Presenters describe an NIMH-study on the relationships between (1) HIV stigma and psychological symptoms, (2) how people with HIV describe their communities and their well-being, and (3) the actual expression of HIV stigma in the rural communities in which people with HIV reside and their perception that they are stigmatized. These findings challenge current thinking about research and intervention.
Proposal Summary
For the past ten years Person Environment Zone investigators at the University of Vermont examined the perceptions of HIV-related stigma and the social and psychological realities of HIV in rural New England. Our NIMH-funded projects collected data from people living with HIV and from the residents of the towns in which the HIV positive people lived. We examined prevailing and popular theoretical perspectives on stigma, psychological health, and the impact of community on people living with HIV. We found that people who reported more experiences of enacted stigma reported more depression and anxiety, but were less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. In contrast with current research on stigma and mental health, recent findings from our longitudinal data suggest a bi-directional relationship between HIV-related stigma and psychological distress. Also, community motivations to control prejudice toward people with HIV were related to disclosure concerns among people with HIV living in those communities. In this presentation we will describe our model and research methods, with a focus on the relationship between (1) HIV stigma and psychological and physical well-being, (2) how people with HIV describe their communities and well-being, and (3) the perception of people with HIV that they are stigmatized and the actual expression of stigma in the communities in which they live. We will discuss how our data improves the understanding of HIV-related stigma in rural areas and how these findings can inform interventions at the individual and community level.
Relevance And Significance
HIV-related stigma has been identified as a critical issue for people with HIV, particularly those living in rural areas. Our work identifies individual differences and community level variables that make people living with HIV vulnerable or resilient to the adverse consequences of HIV-related stigma. Understanding how stigma relates to mental health is important for prevention and intervention development.
Session Format
Presentation Session
Keywords
Stigma, HIV, Rural, Community, Psychological well-being, Physical well-being
Location
Room 218
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Solomon, Sondra E. Ph.D.; Miller, Carol T. Ph.D.; Bunn, Janice Y.; Hodge, James J. MA; and Varni, Susan E. Ph.D., "Rural HIV Stigma: It’s Not What We Thought It Was" (2014). 9th Annual Rural HIV Research and Training Conference (2014-2019). 3.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ruralhiv/2014/2014/3
Rural HIV Stigma: It’s Not What We Thought It Was
Room 218
Presenters describe an NIMH-study on the relationships between (1) HIV stigma and psychological symptoms, (2) how people with HIV describe their communities and their well-being, and (3) the actual expression of HIV stigma in the rural communities in which people with HIV reside and their perception that they are stigmatized. These findings challenge current thinking about research and intervention.
