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Cited by 31HIV/AIDS Research and InterventionsAdolescent Sexual and Reproductive HealthChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

HIV-Related Shame, Stigma and the Mental Health Functioning of Adolescents Living with HIV: Findings from a Pilot Study in Uganda

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Nabunya, Proscovia, Namuwonge, Flavia·2023·Child Psychiatry & Human Development
DOI 10.1007/s10578-022-01374-zPMC PMC9170548
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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between HIV-related shame, stigma and the mental health of adolescents (10-14 years) living with HIV in Uganda. Cross sectional data from a 2-year pilot study for adolescents living with HIV (N = 89) were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the relation between HIV-related shame, as measured by the Shame Questionnaire, stigma, and adolescents' mental health functioning, including depressive symptoms, hopelessness, PTSD symptoms, loneliness and self-concept. The average age was 12.2 years, and 56% of participants were female. HIV-related shame was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (p < 0.05), hopelessness (p < 0.001), PTSD symptoms (p < 0.001), loneliness (p < 0.01), and low levels of self-concept (p < 0.01). HIV stigma was not associated with any of the outcomes. Findings support the need for the development of strategies to help adolescents overcome the shame of living with HIV and mitigate the effects of shame on adolescents' mental health and treatment outcomes.

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  • Treatment strategies that promote emotion regulation, behavioral adjustment, and self-acceptance help improve the mental health of adolescents.

    “Previous research has found that treatment strategies that promote emotion regulation, behavioral adjustment, and self-acceptance help improve the mental health of adolescents [11,15,20].”

    From Effectiveness of a mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention for improving the mental health of adolescents with HIV in Uganda: An open-label trial (2024) · cites this paper as [11]

    The Discussion says cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, and compassion-based interventions show promise for reducing shame across diverse populations. It does not establish that strategies promoting emotion regulation, behavioral adjustment, and self-acceptance improve adolescents’ mental health; the study analyzed cross-sectional pilot data, not treatment outcomes. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Nabunya, P., & Namuwonge, F.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Nabunya, Proscovia
ORCID
Venue
Child Psychiatry & Human Development
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-06-07
Volume
54
Issue
6
Pages
1771-1778
ISSN
  • 0009-398X (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-3327
DOI
10.1007/s10578-022-01374-z
PMC
PMC9170548
OpenAlex
W4281812519
Cited by
31
References
10
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1
FWCI
2.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Child Psychiatry & Human Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH121141)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
HIV stigma, adolescents living with HIV, mental health, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, posttraumatic stress symptoms, loneliness, self-concept, Uganda
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Pilot Projects, Shame, Uganda, HIV Infections, Social Stigma

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