Emotional health outcomes are influenced by sexual minority identity and HIV serostatus

ABSTRACT

For people living with HIV (PLWH) and sexual minorities (SM), the intersection of identities can compound experiences like stigma and discrimination resulting in poor emotional health. We investigated the separate and interactive associations of HIV serostatus and sexual identity with emotional health. Our dataset included 371 participants. Emotional health was assessed by the NIH Toolbox emotion battery which yields negative affect, social satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Regressions were conducted for each composite, with HIV serostatus, sexual identity, and their interaction as independent variables along with covariates. The HIV serostatus x SM identity interaction was statistically significant in the regression of Negative Affect (p = .01): heterosexuals living with HIV had worse Negative Affect compared to heterosexual HIV-persons (p = .01). The interaction terms were for social satisfaction and psychological well-being were not significant. However, among PLWH, sexual minorities reported better Social Satisfaction (p = .03) and marginally better psychological well-being (p = .07) compared to heterosexuals.

KEYWORDS:

• Well-being
• AIDS
• negative affect
• social satisfaction
• psychological well-being
• LGBTQ

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by multiple funding sources including the Sustained Training in Aging and HIV Research program (STAHR; R25 MH108389), CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER; N01MH22005), California NeuroAIDS Tissue Network (CNTN; U24MH100928), HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC; P30MH62512), Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (TMARC; P50DA026306), K23 MH105297 and P30AG059299 (to M.M), and K01 AG064986 (to A.N.).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s ).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by multiple funding sources including NIH/NIMH through the Sustained Training in Aging and HIV Research program [STAHR; R25MH108389], CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research [CHARTER; N01MH22005], California NeuroAIDS Tissue Network [CNTN; U24MH100928], HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center [HNRC; P30MH62512], and K23MH105297 to M.M; NIH/NIDA through the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center [TMARC; P50DA026306], and NIH/NIA through P30AG059299 to M.M and K01AG064986 to A.N.