The relationship between HIV-related stigma and HIV self-management among men who have sex with men: The chain mediating role of social support and self-efficacy

Identifying barriers and facilitators to psychosocial care for people living with HIV in Ireland: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy means that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can now be defined as a manageable chronic illness. It is the facilitation of psychosocial care that has increasingly become a priority, as people living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately impacted by psychosocial stressors compared to the general population. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to psychosocial care for PLWH in Ireland.

METHODS

A mixed methods study design was used, employing a national survey of PLWH (n = 54) via Qualtrics and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals that provide clinical support to PLWH across Ireland (n = 11). Content analysis was used to analyse the interviews.

RESULTS

More than half (59.3%) of survey respondents agreed that living with HIV currently impacts their mental health, with nearly two thirds (64.8%) agreeing that they have experienced stigma as a result of living with HIV. Less than half (40.7%) were comfortable disclosing their status to family, and less than a third (27.8%) to friends. Stigma was identified by healthcare professionals as a barrier to psychosocial care, along with a number of system-level barriers, provider-level or practical barriers, and individual barriers. The value of multidisciplinary care teams and reliance on community support was emphasised, and potential for further integration of support services was highlighted.

CONCLUSION

Community-based organisations contribute significantly to the facilitation of psychosocial support for PLWH in Ireland, and greater integration of community services could promote a more holistic, patient-centred approach to meeting the diverse needs of this growing cohort. PLWH benefit from multidisciplinary care teams, and the facilitation of safe and effective peer support should be encouraged to afford opportunities to disclose and receive social support. HIV-related stigma remains a barrier to psychosocial care, highlighting the need for stigma reduction interventions.

User Personas for eHealth Regarding the Self-Management of Depressive Symptoms in People Living With HIV: Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

eHealth has enormous potential to support the self-management of depressive symptoms in people living with HIV. However, a lack of personalization is an important barrier to user engagement with eHealth. According to goal-directed design, personalized eHealth requires the identification of user personas before concrete design to understand the goals and needs of different users.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify user personas for eHealth regarding the self-management of depressive symptoms in people living with HIV and explore the goals and needs of different user personas for future eHealth.

METHODS

We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design at the First Hospital of Changsha City, Hunan Province, China, from April to October 2022. In the quantitative phase, 572 people living with HIV completed validated questionnaires with questions related to demographics, self-efficacy, self-management abilities of depressive symptoms, and eHealth literacy. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify different user personas. In the qualitative phase, 43 one-to-one semistructured interviews across different user personas were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. The findings from both phases were integrated during the interpretation phase.

RESULTS

Three types of user personas could be identified, including "high-level self-managers" (254/572, 44.4%), "medium-level self-managers" (283/572, 49.5%), and "low-level self-managers" (35/572, 6.1%). High-level self-managers had relatively high levels of self-efficacy, self-management abilities of depressive symptoms, and eHealth literacy. High-level self-managers had a positive attitude toward using eHealth for the self-management of depressive symptoms and desired access to self-management support for depressive symptoms from eHealth with high usability. Medium-level self-managers had relatively medium levels of self-efficacy, self-management abilities of depressive symptoms, and eHealth literacy. Medium-level self-managers felt burdened by using eHealth for the self-management of depressive symptoms and preferred to access self-management support for HIV from eHealth with privacy. Low-level self-managers had relatively low levels of self-efficacy, self-management abilities of depressive symptoms, and eHealth literacy. Low-level self-managers had an acceptable attitude toward using eHealth for the self-management of depressive symptoms and desired access to professional guidance from eHealth with privacy and no cost ("free of charge").

CONCLUSIONS

The 3 user personas shed light on the possibility of personalized eHealth to support the self-management of depressive symptoms in different people living with HIV. Further research is needed to examine the generalizability of the user personas across study sites.

Factors associated with antiretroviral treatment adherence among people living with HIV in Guangdong Province, China: a cross sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Understanding factors associated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence is crucial for ART success among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the "test and treat" era. Multiple psychosocial factors tend to coexist and have a syndemic effect on ART adherence. We aimed to explore factors associated with ART adherence and the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence among PLHIV newly starting ART in Guangdong Province, China.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed PLHIV from six cities in Guangdong Province were recruited between May 2018 and June 2019, and then followed up from May 2019 to August 2020. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from a questionnaire and the national HIV surveillance system, the follow-up data of which were analyzed in this study. A Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) index > 10 points was defined as optimal ART adherence, which was measured via participants' self-reported adherence during follow-up survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with ART adherence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multi-order latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to explore the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence.

RESULTS

A total of 734 (68.53%) follow-up participants were finally included in this study among the 1071 baseline participants, of whom 91.28% (670/734) had self-reported optimal ART adherence. Unemployment (aOR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.01-3.02), no medication reminder (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.09-4.74), low medication self-efficacy (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.27-4.10), low social cohesion (aOR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.03-3.19), no social participation (aOR = 5.65, 95%CI: 1.71-18.63), and ART side effects (aOR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.26-0.81) were barriers to optimal ART adherence. The EFA and second-order latent variable SEM showed a linear relationship (standardized coefficient = 0.43, P < 0.001) between ART adherence and the latent psychosocial (syndemic) factor, which consisted of the three latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy (standardized coefficient = 0.65, P < 0.001), supportive environment (standardized coefficient = 0.50, P < 0.001), and negative emotions (standardized coefficient=-0.38, P < 0.01). The latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy, supportive environment, and negative emotions explained 42.3%, 25.3%, and 14.1% of the variance in the latent psychosocial factor, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

About nine out of ten PLHIV on ART in Guangdong Province self-reported optimal ART adherence. However, more efforts should be made to address barriers to optimal ART adherence.

How Does Anticipated HIV Stigma Affect Medication Adherence? A Longitudinal Path Analysis Model

Prior research has documented that anticipated HIV stigma may play an important predictive role in medication adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH). However, longitudinal data on the mechanisms underlying this linkage are scarce. The current study aimed to explore the longitudinal mediation association among anticipated HIV stigma, medication adherence support, HIV self-management, and medication adherence. A four-wave sample consisting of 1,098 Chinese PLWH (Mage = 38.63, SD = 9.20; 63.9% male) with a six-month interval was used in the current study. Participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires. A path analysis model was analyzed. Results indicate that anticipated HIV stigma at baseline was positively related to medication adherence at Time 4 (T4). Medication adherence support at Time 2 (T2) and HIV self-management at Time 3 (T3) serially mediated the anticipated HIV stigma at Time 1 (T1) and medication adherence at T4. These findings provide critical insights into the mediating roles of medication adherence support and HIV self-management in the relationship between anticipated HIV stigma and medication adherence over time. Such an understanding has important implications for the development of tailored interventions and public health strategies aimed at improving medication adherence among PLWH in the context of HIV-related stigma.

Characteristics and influencing factors of anticipated HIV stigma among HIV-negative/unknown MSM in China: A regression mixture model

BACKGROUND

Anticipated HIV stigma among men who have sex with men's (MSM) has a severe negative effect on their physical and mental health wellbeing and hence requires specific attention. The current study aims to identify the characteristics and the psychosocial influencing factors of anticipated HIV stigma in MSM using regression mixture model (RMM) and to determine the cut-off point of the seven-item Anticipated HIV Stigma Questionnaire (AHSQ) using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-negative/unknown MSM from Blued online platform in China from December 16th, 2020 to March 1st, 2021, enrolling 1394 participants. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, perceived social support, anticipated HIV stigma, depressive symptoms, and HIV knowledge. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify different profiles of anticipated HIV stigma level. Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and RMM analysis were conducted to explore the influencing factors in different profiles. ROC analyses were carried out to identify the cut-off value of anticipated stigma.

RESULTS

Among the participants, three profiles of anticipated stigma were identified: "low anticipated HIV stigma" (12.0%), "moderate anticipated HIV stigma" (52.1%), and "severe anticipated HIV stigma" (35.9%). RMM analysis showed that higher income and higher levels of knowledge were positively associated with moderate anticipated HIV stigma, whereas full-time job and social support were negatively associated with moderate anticipated HIV stigma; higher income, depressive symptoms, and knowledge were positively associated with severe anticipated HIV stigma, whereas minor ethnicity and social support were negatively associated with severe anticipated HIV stigma. ROC curve of the AHSQ showed that the optimal cut-off value of ≥16 could indicate positive anticipated HIV stigma.

CONCLUSION

The study focuses on the level of anticipated HIV stigma and its psycho-socio influencing factors among HIV-negative/unknown MSM. It provides evidence for implementing relevant psychological interventions to HIV-negative/unknown MSM.

Social support as a mediator between mental health and stigma among newly HIV-positive men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVES

The sociocultural context of China gives rise to unique experiences of HIV-related stigma and adverse impacts on mental health among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. However, few studies have explored the stigma among families in the cultural context of China and the role of social support as a mediator to explain how HIV-related stigma results in poor psychological well-being. This study aims to test the mediating effect of social support between HIV-related stigma and family stigma on the mental health of MSM.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited newly MSM with HIV in two cities (Beijing and Wuhan) in China as participants from February 2021 to August 2022. A total of 257 MSM with HIV were recruited for the study. The mediating effects were examined using mediation models (SAS PROC CAUSALMED).

RESULTS

The overall total effect of HIV-related stigma on mental health was β = -1.483 (bootstrap 95% CI = -1.881, -1.104 p < 0.001), and the mediating effect of social support was β = -0.321 (bootstrap 95% CI = -0.571, -0.167 p = .001). A higher level of stigma from family predicts lower mental health with an overall total effect of β = -1.487 (bootstrap 95% CI = -1.823, -1.101 p < 0.001), while the indirect effect (mediation effect) of social support on mental health is β = -0.281 (bootstrap 95% CI = -0.477, -0.142 p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

Given the mediating effect of social support on mental health, programs enhancing social support and decreasing stigmatization should be designed to improve the mental health of MSM with HIV, the interventions are needed at both the family and community levels. Public health campaigns in China that frame HIV and same-sex behavior as chronic issues and normal phenomena can correct misinformation related to HIV and MSM that leads to stigma and negative emotional reactions.