Mediator and moderator effects on the relationship between HIV-positive status disclosure concerns and health-related quality of life

ABSTRACT

HIV-related stigma and the effect on quality of life is an on-going public health concern despite decades of education, prevention, and intervention efforts. The main purposes of this study were to examine the mediating role of four coping styles and the moderating role of gender on the relationship between HIV-positive status disclosure concerns and eight health-related quality of life outcomes. Data were collected from 346 women and men living with HIV. Results indicated that two coping styles – acquiring social support and positive reframing – mediated the negative relationship between disclosure concerns and health-related quality of life outcomes. There was no support for a moderated mediation. Interventions aimed at helping people living with HIV should focus on identifying and acquiring coping styles that transform perceptions of HIV-related stigma to support disclosure and improve health-related quality of life.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV disclosure
• seropositive
• stigma
• quality of life

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant R01MH097486. We would like to thank the women and men who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant R01MH097486.