Abstract
This article explores the buffering role of religion and spirituality in the lives of people living with HIV (PLWH). Participants (N = 239) included a gender-balanced sample of African American (N = 131), White (N = 69), and Latinx/Other (N = 39) individuals living with HIV in an urban city in the Southwestern United States. Participants completed self-report measures related to their personal experiences with HIV, religion and spirituality, mental health, and health-related quality of life. HIV stigma was associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower mental health-related quality of life but was not related to physical health-related quality of life. Engagement in higher levels of religious behaviors buffered the deleterious relationship between stigma and depression, but not between stigma and mental health-related quality of life or physical health-related quality of life. We conclude by discussing limitations, areas for future research, and implications for practitioners working with this population.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 168-183 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Spirituality in Clinical Practice |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 25 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- HIV/AIDS
- depression
- health-related quality of life
- religion
- stigma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Complementary and Manual Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
- Complementary and alternative medicine
- Psychiatry and Mental health