Online Program

285638
Vicious circle of perceived stigma, enacted stigma and depressive symptoms among children affected by HIV/AIDS: A cross-lagged model


Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Peilian Chi, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Xiaoming Li, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Shaobing Su, Med, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Shan Qiao, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Junfeng Zhao, Institute of Behavior and Psychology, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
Guoxiang Zhao, Institute of Behavior and Psychology, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
Background: Previous research has found a deleterious impact of stigma on mental health of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Little is known about longitudinal relationship of stigma and children's mental health.

Methods: This study explores the longitudinal reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and stigma, specifically enacted stigma and perceived stigma, among children affected by HIV/AIDS aged 6 to 12. Longitudinal data were collected from 272 children orphaned by AIDS and 249 children of HIV-positive parents in rural China. Cross-lagged panel analysis was conducted in the study.

Results: Results showed that the autoregressive effects were stable for depressive symptoms, perceived stigma and enacted stigma suggesting the substantially stable individual differences over time. The cross-lagged effects indicated a vicious circle among the three variables in an order of enacted stigma->depressive symptom->perceived stigma->enacted stigma. The possibility of employing equal constraints on cross-lagged paths suggested that the cross-lagged effects were repeatable over time.

Conclusion: The dynamic interplay of enacted stigma, perceived stigma and depressive symptoms suggest the need of a multilevel intervention in stigma reduction programming to promote mental health of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Learning Areas:

Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify a vicious circle among stigma and depressive symptoms by cross-lagged analyses Describe the predicting pattern in an order of enacted stigma->depressive symptoms->perceived stigma->enacted stigma Demonstrate the need to consider the interplay of various components of stigma in mental health promotion

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am working as research assistant in the Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine. I assisted with the project on children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.