Protective and Compensatory Effects of Group Identification on the Mental Health of People Living with HIV
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Protective and Compensatory Effects of Group Identification on the Mental Health of People Living with HIV Randolph C. H. Chan1 · Winnie W. S. Mak2 Received: 6 July 2019 / Revised: 15 August 2020 / Accepted: 18 August 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Despite persistent stigmatization of people living with HIV (PLHIV) across the globe, group identification among these individuals may serve to counteract the detrimental effect of prejudice and discrimination associated with the stigmatized identity. Drawing on resilience theory and social identity theory, this study examined how multiple dimensions of group identification (i.e., in-group ties, in-group affect, and centrality) function to buffer and neutralize the negative impact of HIV stigma. A total of 281 PLHIV were recruited from the only community-based public HIV clinic in Hong Kong to participate in this study. The results revealed a protective effect of in-group affect, which moderated the relationship between HIV stigma and mental health, such that HIV stigma was not associated with mental health among people with higher positive in-group affect. In addition, a positive compensatory effect of in-group ties was found in people with higher HIV identity centrality. Given the protective effect of in-group affect, it is important to re-story the lives among PLHIV by challenging their maladaptive beliefs about being PLHIV and building a positive sense of identity in their personal narratives. Community-based interventions should be provided to individuals with higher HIV identity centrality by offering peer support groups and engaging them in community work. Keywords HIV stigma · Mental health · Group identification · Resilience · People living with HIV
Introduction Living with HIV is about not only coping with the health challenges arising from HIV infection but also having to manage the psychosocial adversity that might be caused by stigmatization attached to HIV (Parker & Aggleton, 2003). HIV stigma occurs when negative meanings and labels are attached to HIV, resulting in the discounting and discrediting of people living with HIV (PLHIV) (Parker & Aggleton, 2003). Previous studies have found that HIV stigma is associated with poor mental health (Relf, Mallinson, Pawlowski, Dolan, & Dekker, 2005), low self-esteem (Berger, Ferrans, & Lashley, 2001), and reduced subjective well-being (Hutton, Misajon, & Collins, 2013) in PLHIV.
* Winnie W. S. Mak [email protected] 1
Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
2
Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, HIV stigma is still highly pervasive despite laws that ban discrimination based on HIV status. A random telephone survey study in 2016 showed that more than half of the general public endorsed negative social judgments toward PLHIV (Yeo & Chu, 2017). Approximately one-third of the respondents associated PLHIV with promiscu
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