Effects of co-occurring stigmas on PTSD and depression among African American women living with HIV who use substances

Abstract

Introduction: Intersectional stigma has been shown to have negative impacts on behavior and health outcomes. Few research studies have incorporated both internalized HIV stigma and substance use stigma into a single analysis, and none looking at their relationship to mental health illnesses amongst African American women living with HIV and consume substances. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data taken from a HIV stigma reduction randomized control trial was used to examine the relationship between internalized HIV stigma, substance use stigma, and mental health illnesses (PTSD and Depression) amongst African American women living with HIV and who consume substances. We examined PTSD and depression symptoms amongst the population, and used multiple linear regression to analyze the relationship between both stigmas and mental health related illnesses. Results: Fifty-four participants were enrolled in this study, ranging in age from 23 to 61 years. The mean year living with HIV was 14.3 (SD = 7.5). We found that 85.2% reported significant levels of PTSD symptoms, while 44.4% reported moderate depression symptoms. Internalized stigma was associated with moderate depression symptoms (0.38; p < 0.01) and significant PTSD symptoms (0.46; p<0.001). Substance-use stigma showed a trend between moderate depression symptoms (0.23; p=0.07) and significant PTSD symptoms (0.23; p=0.06). Discussion: Our findings demonstrates a relationship between intersectional stigmas and mental health illnesses. Further studies are needed to better understand the complex relationship between intersectional stigmas, HIV status, and mental health outcomes.