Subjective wellbeing and ‘felt’ stigma when living with HIV

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Stigma remains a significant challenge for individuals living with HIV.
• Understanding the impact of stigma on mental health is crucial for effective support strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of stigma on subjective wellbeing in adults with HIV in Australia and the USA.
• To test the hypothesis that felt stigma negatively impacts wellbeing and that this population reports lower wellbeing than the general population.

Main Methods:

• 274 adults living with HIV recruited via Australian AIDS councils and online support groups.
• Utilized the Personal Wellbeing Index—Adult (PWI-A) and the HIV version of the Unsupportive Social Interactions Inventory (USII).
• Wellbeing measured on a scale of 0 to 100.

Main Results:

• Participants reported a mean PWI-A score of 54.7, significantly lower than the Western normative range (70–80).
• A strong negative correlation was found between PWI-A scores and USII scores.
• Higher levels of unsupportive social interactions were associated with reduced subjective wellbeing.

Conclusions:

• Felt stigma, manifesting as unsupportive social interactions, negatively impacts subjective wellbeing despite anti-discrimination laws.
• Reduced subjective wellbeing in people with HIV may increase risks for adverse health behaviors.
• Adverse health behaviors include medication non-adherence, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and non-disclosure of HIV status.