Acculturation and perceived stress in HIV+ immigrants: depression symptomatology in Asian and Pacific Islanders

Abstract

Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) are among the fastest growing minority groups within the USA, and this growth has been accompanied by an increase in HIV incidence. Between 2000 and 2010, the API HIV infection rate increased from 4.5% to 8.7%; however, there is a paucity of HIV-related research for this group, and even less is known about the prevalence and correlates of antiretroviral therapy adherence behavior, quality of life, impact of stress, and efficacious self-management among HIV+ API Americans. This paper examines how acculturation and perceived stress affect depression symptomatology and treatment seeking in the HIV+ API population. A series of cross-sectional audio computer-assisted self-interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 50 HIV+ API (29 in San Francisco and 21 in New York City). The relationship between acculturation and perceived stress was analyzed, and the results indicate that for those HIV+ API who reported low or moderate acculturation (as compared to those who reported high acculturation), stress was significantly mediated by depression symptomology. Interventions to address acculturation and reduce perceived stress among API generally and Asians specifically are therefore needed.

Keywords:

• HIV
• Asian and Pacific Islander
• immigrants
• perceived stress
• depression
• acculturation

Acknowledgment

Dr Chen acknowledges Dr Merrill Singer as the mentor during her training under Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS) in Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale University that offered her a chance to design and conduct this important study.

Funding

The project described was supported by Award Number [grant number 5R25MH087217] from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

Funding: The project described was supported by Award Number [grant number 5R25MH087217] from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.