HIV-Related Stress Experienced by Newly Diagnosed People Living with HIV in China: A 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Yunxiang Huang, Dan Luo, Xi Chen, Dexing Zhang, Zhulin Huang and Shuiyuan Xiao
Additional contact information
Yunxiang Huang: Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
Dan Luo: Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
Xi Chen: Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Changsha 410078, China
Dexing Zhang: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 810016, Hong Kong, China
Zhulin Huang: Changsha Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Changsha 410078, China
Shuiyuan Xiao: Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: This study explored the HIV-related stressors that people living with HIV (PLWH) commonly experience and express as stressful at the time of diagnosis and 1 year later. The factors associated with stress levels and whether social support would moderate the negative effects of stress on psychological health (depressive and anxiety symptoms) were also investigated. Newly diagnosed PLWH were consecutively recruited in this study. Participants rated their stress with the HIV/AIDS Stress Scale at baseline and 1 year later. Social support, depression, and anxiety were also self-reported at both time points. There were significant decreases in stress levels 1 year after diagnosis. Stressors regarding confidentiality, disclosure, emotional distress, fear of infecting others, and excessive attention to physical functions were the most problematic at baseline and 1-year follow-up. A younger age, married status, not living alone, less income, presence of HIV symptoms, and lack of social support were associated with higher levels of stress. No stress-buffering effect of social support on depressive and anxiety symptoms was found in this study. Interventions to reduce stress among PLWH should take into consideration the following priority stressors: confidentiality, discrimination/stigma, serostatus disclosure, distressing emotions, fear of infecting others, and excessive attention to physical functions. More attention should be paid to PLWH with younger age, not living alone, less income, presence of HIV symptoms, and lack of social support.

Keywords: HIV-related stress; newly diagnosed people living with HIV; social support; depression; anxiety; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2681/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2681/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2681-:d:345169

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().