Confronting Stigma: Community Involvement and Psychological Well-Being Among HIV-Positive Latino Gay Men

Theories of social integration and stress process posit that community involvement may buffer or may compensate the adverse effects of stigma on psychological well-being. In this article, the authors explore this thesis in a stigmatized and seldom studied group of HIV-positive Latino gay men. Specif...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences 2005-02, Vol.27 (1), p.101-119
Main Authors: Ramirez-Valles, Jesus, Fergus, Stevenson, Reisen, Carol A., Poppen, Paul J., Zea, Maria Cecilia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communicable Diseases
Community Involvement
Community support
Depression (Psychology)
District of Columbia
Gays & lesbians
Hispanic Americans
Homosexuality
Males
New York
Perceptions
Psychological Patterns
Self Esteem
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Social Bias
Social Integration
Volunteers
Washington
Well Being
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Summary:Theories of social integration and stress process posit that community involvement may buffer or may compensate the adverse effects of stigma on psychological well-being. In this article, the authors explore this thesis in a stigmatized and seldom studied group of HIV-positive Latino gay men. Specifically, they examine the effects of community involvement in AIDS and gay-related organizations (e.g., volunteerism and activism) and experienced homosexual stigma on three psychological well-being indicators (i.e., self-esteem, depression, and loneliness). The cross-sectional sample includes 155 HIV-positive men living in New York City and Washington, DC. Results suggest that experienced stigma attributed to homosexuality is associated with psychological well-being. Community involvement, however, seems to compensate the association between stigma and depression and loneliness, while buffering the association with self-esteem. Furthermore, community involvement appears to also heighten the perception of stigma.
ISSN:0739-9863
1552-6364
DOI:10.1177/0739986304270232