title: Perceived social support, hopefulness, and emotional regulations as mediators of the relationship between enacted stigma and post-traumatic growth among children affected by parental HIV/AIDS in rural China.
abstract: Some previous studies have revealed a negative impact of enacted stigma on post-traumatic growth (PTG) of children affected by HIV/AIDS, but little is known about protective psychological factors that can mitigate the effect of enacted stigma on children's PTG. This study aims to examine the mediating effects of perceived social support, hopefulness, and emotional regulation on the relationship between enacted stigma and PTG among HIV-affected children. Cross-sectional data were collected from 790 children affected by parental HIV (382 girls, 408 boys) aged 6-17 years in 2012 in rural central China. Multiple regression was conducted to test the mediation model. The study found that the experience of enacted stigma had a negative effect on PTG among children affected by HIV/AIDS. Emotional regulation together with hopefulness and perceived social support mediated the impact of enacted stigma on PTG. Perceived social support, hopefulness, and emotional regulation offer multiple levels of protection that can mitigate the impact of enacted stigma on PTG. Results suggest that future psychological intervention programs should seek strategies to reduce the stigmatizing experience of these children and promote children's level of PTG, and health professionals should also emphasize the development of these protective psychological factors.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior , South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health , Columbia , SC , USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior , South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health , Columbia , SC , USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: b School of Basic Medical Sciences , Nanjing Medical University , Jiangsu , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Behavior and Psychology , Henan University , Kaifeng , Henan , China.
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Behavior and Psychology , Henan University , Kaifeng , Henan , China.
authors.forename: Guoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012424:Rural Population; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: China; Enacted stigma; children affected by HIV/AIDS; emotional regulation; hopefulness; perceived social support; post-traumatic growth