Psychology

Anxiety and depressive symptoms among people living with HIV and childhood sexual abuse: The role of shame and posttraumatic growth

Document Type

Article

Abstract

There is a critical need to examine protective and risk factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in order to improve quality of life. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the associations between HIV-related shame, sexual abuse-related shame, posttraumatic growth, and anxiety and depressive symptoms among a cohort of 225 heterosexual women and men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV who have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Higher sexual abuse-related shame was related to more anxiety and depressive symptoms for heterosexual women. Higher posttraumatic growth predicted less anxiety symptoms for only heterosexual women. Higher posttraumatic growth predicted less depressive symptoms for heterosexual women and MSM, but the magnitude of this effect was stronger for heterosexual women than MSM. Psychosocial interventions may need to be tailored to meet the specific needs of heterosexual women and MSM living with HIV and CSA.

Publication Title

AIDS and Behavior

Publication Date

2016

Volume

20

Issue

8

First Page

1609

Last Page

1620

ISSN

1090-7165

DOI

10.1007/s10461-016-1298-9

Keywords

anxiety and depression, childhood sexual abuse, HIV, posttraumatic growth, shame

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