HIV-related Stigma, Personal Mastery, Mindfulness, and Social Support in Older Adults Living with HIV in Coachella Valley, California

Half of individuals currently living with HIV in the US are older adults (age 50 years and older). Despite increases in lifespan, this population continues to experience HIV-related stigma, which is linked to poor clinical and social outcomes. Reduction efforts have expanded to focus on psychosocial factors that may offer protection against stigma. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of HIV-related stigma and examined its association with demographic, HIV-disease, and psychosocial factors, including personal mastery, mindfulness and social support in older adults living with HIV (OALWH). Coachella Valley, California. The study was approved by the Health Sciences Campus Institutional Review Board of the University of Southern California. OALWH from local AIDS service organizations completed a one-time in-person 30-min survey. No incentives were provided. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and simple linear regressions. Data were analyzed using RStudio, version 4.0.2. Between August and October of 2019, thirty-two ( N = 32) OALWH completed the survey. The mean age of participants was 62.96 years and majority self-identified as white (84%), male (91%), gay (80%), and retired (48%). The prevalence of HIV-related stigma was 6% and there was a statistically significant relationship between HIV-related stigma and ethnicity, with Hispanics/Latinos reporting higher mean stigma scores ( p = 0.043). Additionally, we observed a statistically significant relationship between HIV-related stigma and personal mastery ( p = 0.002), as well as HIV-related stigma and mindfulness ( p = 0.014). Larger studies are needed to assess the role of psychosocial factors and the specific pathways by which they offer protection against HIV-related stigma in OALWH.