Perceived Social Stigma, Family Support and Mental Health Issues in Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS

Main Article Content

Moazzam Shehzad
Muhammad Luqman Khan
Sikander Ali Khan

Abstract

Background: In Pakistan, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is compounded by significant socio-economic challenges and a pervasive stigma that undermines effective treatment and prevention strategies. The psychological impacts of HIV/AIDS, such as anxiety, depression, and stress, further complicate disease management, affecting patients' willingness to adhere to treatment and disclose their status.


Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of mental health issues among individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Pakistan and explore the relationships between perceived social stigma, family support, and mental health outcomes.


Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 150 diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients from Nankana Sahib and Faisalabad districts. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through validated Urdu versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), a discrimination scale, and a family support scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, focusing on descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and linear regression models.


Results: The results indicated that the mean scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly high at 66.6980 ± 17.56598. A strong positive correlation was observed between perceived discrimination (DISC) and DASS scores (r = 0.890, p < 0.01), while perceived family support (PFS) was negatively correlated with DISC scores (r = -0.166, p = 0.043). Regression analysis showed that increased family support significantly mitigated mental health issues, reducing the mean stress, anxiety, and depression scores among participants.


Conclusion: The study highlights the critical role of family support in reducing mental health issues among HIV/AIDS patients in Pakistan. Enhancing family involvement and reducing social stigma could improve treatment adherence and overall health outcomes.

Article Details

How to Cite
Shehzad, M., Khan, M. L., & Khan, S. A. (2024). Perceived Social Stigma, Family Support and Mental Health Issues in Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research, 4(2), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v4i2.760
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Moazzam Shehzad, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

MPhil Scholar Clinical Psychology, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

Muhammad Luqman Khan, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

Sikander Ali Khan, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

MPhil Scholar Clinical Psychology, Riphah International University Faisalabad Campus- Pakistan.

References

Bano N, Shahzad S, Ahmad S. A closer look at self esteem and perceived social support: Their role in depression among women with chronic illnesses. 2022.

Franzolini B. Niche market analysis and marketing strategies applied to the Chinese market: a case study of the tea and the coffee market sold through e-commerce. 2020.

Thomas MS. Church Hurt: A Therapeutic Approach for Treating Religious Trauma and Spiritual Bypass. 2023.

Xuejie C, Chang Q, GuangHao Z, editors. Research on Innovation supply chain Management in Fast Fashion Industry——A comparative analysis of ZARA and H&M. 2019 3rd International Conference on Education, Culture and Social Development (ICECSD 2019); 2019: Atlantis Press.

Mokros Ł, Koprowicz J, Leszczyński P, Nowakowska-Domagała K, Witusik A, Pietras T. Can chronotype and social jet lag predict burnout among physical therapists? Biological Rhythm Research. 2021;52(10):1604-17.

Abbas Q, Nisa M, Khan MU, Anwar N, Aljhani S, Ramzan Z, et al. Brief cognitive behavior therapy for stigmatization, depression, quality of life, social support and adherence to treatment among patients with HIV/AIDS: a randomized control trial. BMC psychiatry. 2023;23(1):539.

Usman M. Impact of abusive supervision on project success, mediating role of employee performance, moderating effect of scope creep. CAPITAL UNIVERSITY. 2019.

Baheer R, Khan KI, Rafiq Z, Rashid T. Impact of dark triad personality traits on turnover intention and mental health of employees through cyberbullying. Cogent Business & Management. 2023;10(1):2191777.

Park J, Zhan X, Gainey KN-. Meta-analysis of the associations among constructs of intrapersonal emotion knowledge. Emotion Review. 2022;14(1):66-83.

Al Amiri N, Rahima REA, Ahmed G. Leadership styles and organizational knowledge management activities: A systematic review. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business. 2020;22(3):250-75.

Eisapareh K, Nazari M, Kaveh M, Ghahremani L, Parkestani K, ur Rehman A. Relationship between social support and social stigma among AIDS patients in Shiraz. HIV & AIDS Review International Journal of HIV-Related Problems. 2022;21(4):305-14.

Hassan MN, Barakat A, Sobh A, editors. Effect of applying lean maintenance in oil and gas fields. The International Conference on Applied Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering; 2020: Military Technical College.

Baldassarre A, Giorgi G, Alessio F, Lulli LG, Arcangeli G, Mucci N. Stigma and discrimination (SAD) at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(17):6341.

Zandi G, Shahzad I, Farrukh M, Kot S. Supporting role of society and firms to COVID-19 management among medical practitioners. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(21):7961.

Rustagi P, Prakash A. A Review on Consumer's Attitude & Purchase Behavioral Intention Towards Green Food Products. International Journal of Health Sciences. 2022(I):9257-73.

Asadi M, Ghasemzadeh N, Nazarifar M, Sarvandani MN. The effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy on marital satisfaction and positive feelings towards the spouse. International Journal of Health Studies. 2020.

Anderson ML, Burtt JJ, Jang SJ, Booyens K, Johnson BR, Joseph M. Religion and responsibility-taking among offenders in Colombia and South Africa: a qualitative assessment of a faith-based program in prison. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology. 2023;67(1):66-88.

Melkonyan A, Gruchmann T, Lohmar F, Kamath V, Spinler S. Sustainability assessment of last-mile logistics and distribution strategies: The case of local food networks. International Journal of Production Economics. 2020;228:107746.

Hannah ST, Schaubroeck JM, Peng AC, Lord RG, Trevino LK, Kozlowski SW, et al. Joint influences of individual and work unit abusive supervision on ethical intentions and behaviors: A moderated mediation model. Journal of applied Psychology. 2013;98(4):579.

Busari AH, Khan SN, Abdullah SM, Mughal YH. Transformational leadership style, followership, and factors of employees’ reactions towards organizational change. Journal of Asia Business Studies. 2019;14(2):181-209.

Habiba U, Perveen M, Arshad R. Causes and Repercussions of HIV among Seroconcordant Couples in Pakistan. Journal of Management Practices, Humanities and Social Sciences. 2022;6(2):42-50.

Hameed N, Irshad E. The Effect of Stigmatization on Perceived Social Support and Quality of Life among Hiv/Aids Patients: A Gender-Based Analysis. Journal of Management Practices, Humanities and Social Sciences. 2022;6(4):51-60.

Jauk E, Ehrenthal JC. Self-reported levels of personality functioning from the operationalized psychodynamic diagnosis (OPD) system and emotional intelligence likely assess the same latent construct. Journal of personality assessment. 2021;103(3):365-79.

Chang CW, Chang KC, Griffiths MD, Chang CC, Lin CY, Pakpour AH. The mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship between perceived stigma and depression among individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 2022;29(2):307-16.

Ringo RYS, Septyanto D, Ramli AH. Analysis of Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in the Shopee Marketplace. Majalah Ilmiah Bijak. 2023;20(2):293-310.

Jamali A, Bhutto A, Khaskhely M, Sethar W. Impact of leadership styles on faculty performance: Moderating role of organizational culture in higher education. Management Science Letters. 2022;12(1):1-20.

Aziz A, Khan N. The Exploration of Stigma and Discrimination Among Patients Suffering from Depression: A Phenomenological Study. NUST Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 2021;7(2):206-30.

Akhtar N, Batool I, Khan MZ. Perceived Stigma, Social Support and Quality of Life in Patients of Tuberculosis: Quality of Life in Patients of TB. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences. 2023:89-93.

Ehsan S, Batool SS. Perceived Social Support as a Predictor of General Health in HIV+ Patients: Moderating Role of Gender: Social Support as a Predictor of General Health in HIV+ Patients. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences. 2022:152-6.

Burchardt C, Maisch B. Digitalization needs a cultural change–examples of applying Agility and Open Innovation to drive the digital transformation. Procedia Cirp. 2019;84:112-7.

Al Mazrouei MA, Khalid K, Davidson R, Abdallah S. Impact of organizational culture and perceived process safety in the UAE oil and gas industry. The Qualitative Report. 2019;24(12):3215-38.

Asgher T, Hanif A. Exploring the impact of online teaching method on higher education during COVID-19 pandemic: Students’ and teachers’ perspective. Research Journal of Social Sciences and Economics Review. 2021;2(1):120-34.

Hussain MM, Khalily MT, Zulfiqar Z. Psychological Problems Among Patients Suffer in HIV/AIDS in Pakistan. Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences. 2021;4(2):559-67.

Özmete E, Pak M. The relationship between anxiety levels and perceived social support during the pandemic of COVID-19 in Turkey. Social work in public health. 2020;35(7):603-16.

Kern J, Wolff P. The digital transformation of the automotive supply chain–an empirical analysis with evidence from Germany and China: Case study contribution to the OECD TIP Digital and Open Innovation project. TIP Digital and Open Innovation project. 2019.