The role of social support in moderating the relationship between HIV centrality, internalised stigma and psychological distress for people living with HIV
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Abstract
Research has documented the negative impact of stigma on health outcomes for people
living with HIV (PLHIV). How central HIV is to the identity of the individual may
increase the negative effects of stigma, including greater psychological distress,
while having strong social supports may play a buffering role. This study aimed to
establish whether internalised stigma mediates the relationship between the centrality
of HIV identity and psychological distress, while also assessing the role of social
support as a moderator. PLHIV (n = 181) responded to a survey assessing experiences
of living with HIV focussed on centrality of HIV identity, internalised stigma, and
wellbeing. After controlling for age and education, findings from the mediation analysis
show that the more central HIV is to an individual's identity, the more stigma is
internalised and the greater the negative impact on psychological wellbeing. However,
this is only the case for people with low levels of social support. Regardless of
how central HIV is to identity, social support appears to act as a buffer and promote
positive wellbeing. For those working with PLHIV, promoting the importance of good
social support systems may be one way to address some of the negative impacts of stigma.