title: HIV-disclosure, social support, and depression among HIV-infected African American women living in the rural southeastern United States.
abstract: This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between social support, HIV disclosure, and depression among 340 rural African American women with HIV disease living in the southeastern United States. Three aspects of social support (perceived availability of support, sources of available support, and satisfaction with available support) were measured along with HIV disclosure and depression. Perceived availability of support (p < .0001), sources of support (p = .03), satisfaction with support (p = .003), and HIV disclosure (total and to children; p = .05 and .04, respectively) were significantly and inversely correlated with depression. Perceived availability of support and satisfaction with support mediated the relationship between HIV disclosure and depression. If confirmed in longitudinal studies, these findings have implications for designing and implementing interventions supporting African American women with HIV disease in disclosing their HIV status appropriately, particularly to their children. In long run, appropriate self-disclosure may help decrease depression and improve quality of life among HIV infected African American women living in limited resource settings.
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA. medha2808@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Medha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vyavaharkar
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moneyham
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corwin
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavakoli
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Annang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012944:Social Support; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology