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Relationship of Stigma and Depression Among Newly HIV-Diagnosed Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Little is known about the relationship between HIV stigma and depression among newly diagnosed HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). We measured HIV-related stigma and current depression using standard scales among 367 Chinese MSM who had been diagnosed very recently with HIV infection, analyzing key associations with multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Current depression prevalence was 36 %. Median scores for felt, vicarious, and internalized stigma were 17, 2, and 5, respectively, each on a 0–30 scale. A one-point increase in the total stigma score was associated with a 4 % increase in the odds of current depression [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.04, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.05]. Internalized stigma had the strongest association with depression (aOR = 1.09, 95 % CI 1.07–1.12). Effective interventions to address coping with HIV-related stigma immediately following HIV-diagnosis might help reduce depression, improve long-term mental health, and improve engagement in their care.

Resumen

Poco se sabe sobre la relación entre sentir estigma de tener VIH y la depresión en hombres chinos, recién diagnosticados con el virus, que tienen sexo con otros hombres (HSH). Se midió esto utilizando escalas estándar en un grupo de 367 HSH chinos recién diagnosticados. Se evaluaron las asociaciones pertinentes utilizando modelos multivariables de regresión logística ordinal. La prevalencia de depresión fue de 36 %. La mediana de los resultados sobre estigma percibido en sí, o vicariamente, o internalizada fué 17, 2, y 5, respectivamente, cada uno en una escala de 0–30. El aumento de un punto en la puntuación total del estigma se asoció con un aumento de 4 % en las probabilidades de depresión actual (odds ratio ajustada [aOR] = 1.04, 95 % intervalo de confianza [CI] 1.03–1.05). El estigma internalizado tuvo la asociación más fuerte con depresión (aOR = 1.09; 95 % CI 1.07–1.12). Intervenciones eficaces en enfrentar el estigma associado con tener VIH, hechas inmediatamente después de diagnóstico, pueden ayudar a reducir la depresión, mejorar la salud mental a largo plazo, y mejorar la participación en su proprio cuidado.

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Funding

This study was funded by R01AI094562, R34AI091446, and R25-DA035692.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

      Jun Tao, Aaron M. Kipp, Han-Zhu Qian, Lu Yin & Sten H. Vermund

    2. Chaoyang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China

      Lijuan Wang

    3. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

      Aaron M. Kipp & Han-Zhu Qian

    4. State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (SKLID), Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing, China

      Yuhua Ruan & Yiming Shao

    5. Beijing City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China

      Hongyan Lu

    6. Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

      Sten H. Vermund

    Authors
    1. Jun Tao
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    2. Lijuan Wang
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    Correspondence to Sten H. Vermund.

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    Conflict of interest

    Sten Vermund has declared that he has no conflict of interest. Aaron Kipp has declared that he has no conflict of interest. All the other authors also have declared no conflict of interest.

    Ethical approval

    All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional review boards of Vanderbilt University, and the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS) of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

    Informed consent

    Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

    Additional information

    Jun Tao and Lijuan Wang have contributed equally to this work.

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    Tao, J., Wang, L., Kipp, A.M. et al. Relationship of Stigma and Depression Among Newly HIV-Diagnosed Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 21, 292–299 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1477-8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1477-8

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