The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope
IntroductionHIV and mental health problems are a global syndemic. One key issue is that the significant mental health problems among people vulnerable to acquiring or living with HIV have not been fully addressed. Access to social support has been one of the biggest challenges for HIV-positive men w...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1271915/full |
| _version_ | 1797631206580289536 |
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| author | Run Wang Fang Zheng Guiying Cao Lloyd A. Goldsamt Yan Shen Ci Zhang Mengyao Yi Wenwen Peng Xianhong Li |
| author_facet | Run Wang Fang Zheng Guiying Cao Lloyd A. Goldsamt Yan Shen Ci Zhang Mengyao Yi Wenwen Peng Xianhong Li |
| author_sort | Run Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionHIV and mental health problems are a global syndemic. One key issue is that the significant mental health problems among people vulnerable to acquiring or living with HIV have not been fully addressed. Access to social support has been one of the biggest challenges for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIV+ MSM). Lower social support has been linked to more severe depression symptoms. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM are unclear. Two possible mediators include hope and psychological flexibility. This study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM and to explore the single mediating effects of hope and psychological flexibility and the chain mediating effect of these two variables on this relationship.MethodsA convenience sample was used to recruit participants from the designated HIV/AIDS hospital in Changsha city, Hunan Province of China. A total of 290 HIV+ MSM completed questionnaires.ResultsOur findings showed that hope mediated the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM. Furthermore, the chain mediation model confirmed a direct negative association between social support and depression, but this relationship was largely mediated by the chain effects of hope and psychological flexibility.ConclusionsIntegrating hope and psychological flexibility into interventions may provide better mental health support for HIV+ MSM and improve their wellbeing and quality of life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:18:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-952dd14f59614fb6aece62aa173839d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:18:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-952dd14f59614fb6aece62aa173839d52023-11-10T16:23:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-11-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.12719151271915The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hopeRun Wang0Fang Zheng1Guiying Cao2Lloyd A. Goldsamt3Yan Shen4Ci Zhang5Mengyao Yi6Wenwen Peng7Xianhong Li8Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaDepartment of AIDS, The First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaDepartment of AIDS, The First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaRory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesXiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaXiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaXiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaXiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaXiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaIntroductionHIV and mental health problems are a global syndemic. One key issue is that the significant mental health problems among people vulnerable to acquiring or living with HIV have not been fully addressed. Access to social support has been one of the biggest challenges for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIV+ MSM). Lower social support has been linked to more severe depression symptoms. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM are unclear. Two possible mediators include hope and psychological flexibility. This study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM and to explore the single mediating effects of hope and psychological flexibility and the chain mediating effect of these two variables on this relationship.MethodsA convenience sample was used to recruit participants from the designated HIV/AIDS hospital in Changsha city, Hunan Province of China. A total of 290 HIV+ MSM completed questionnaires.ResultsOur findings showed that hope mediated the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM. Furthermore, the chain mediation model confirmed a direct negative association between social support and depression, but this relationship was largely mediated by the chain effects of hope and psychological flexibility.ConclusionsIntegrating hope and psychological flexibility into interventions may provide better mental health support for HIV+ MSM and improve their wellbeing and quality of life.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1271915/fullHIVmen who have sex with mensocial supportpsychological flexibilityhopedepression |
| spellingShingle | Run Wang Fang Zheng Guiying Cao Lloyd A. Goldsamt Yan Shen Ci Zhang Mengyao Yi Wenwen Peng Xianhong Li The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope Frontiers in Public Health HIV men who have sex with men social support psychological flexibility hope depression |
| title | The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| title_full | The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| title_short | The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| title_sort | relationship between social support and depression among hiv positive men who have sex with men in china the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope |
| topic | HIV men who have sex with men social support psychological flexibility hope depression |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1271915/full |
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