title: Stigma and disease disclosure among HIV+ individuals: the moderating role of emotion dysregulation.
abstract: Increased disclosure of HIV status has been shown to reduce disease transmission among persons living with HIV (PLHIV). HIV-related stigma has been shown to reduce HIV disclosure; however, little is known about factors that may underlie the relation between HIV-related stigma and HIV disclosure. The current study examined emotion dysregulation (i.e., maladaptive generation, processing, and modulation of one's emotions) in the relation between HIV-related stigma, sub-facets of HIV-related stigma, and HIV disclosure among PLHIV seeking psychological treatment (n = 80; 61.3% male; 56.3% African-American (non-Hispanic); Mage= 48.25, SD = 7.39). Results indicated past experiences of rejection due to one's HIV status (i.e., enacted stigma), as well as subjective beliefs regarding how PLHIV are evaluated by others (i.e., public attitudes stigma), are significantly related to HIV disclosure. Additionally, these relations are moderated by emotion dysregulation. Specifically, greater HIV-related stigma is associated with reduced HIV disclosure for individuals with greater emotion dysregulation. However, emotion dysregulation did not moderate the relations between negative self-image (e.g., shame, guilt) or disclosure concerns and HIV disclosure. Findings suggest emotion dysregulation may play a moderating role for certain types of HIV disclosure.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Sciences , Kent State University , Kent , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Luke F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Heggeness
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Charles P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.affiliation: c Legacy Community Health , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemaire
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of Houston , Houston , TX , USA.|d Department of Behavioral Science , The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zvolensky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame; D057545:Social Stigma; D014342:Truth Disclosure
keywords: AIDS; HIV; Stigma; disclosure; emotion