Examining anxiety sensitivity as an explanatory construct underlying HIV-related stigma: Relations to anxious arousal, social anxiety, and HIV symptoms among persons living with HIV

- HIV-related stigma is still prevalent among persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- HIV-related stigma predicts greater rates of anxiety symptoms and HIV symptoms.
- Anxiety sensitivity mediates the relation between HIV-related stigma and these outcomes.
- Targeting anxiety sensitivity clinically may help to mitigate the impact of HIV-related stigma.

Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) are a health disparity subgroup of the overall population for mental and physical health problems. HIV-related stigma has been shown to increase anxiety symptoms and HIV symptoms among PLHIV. However, little is known about factors that may impact the relations between HIV-related stigma and anxiety symptoms and HIV symptoms among PLHIV. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined anxiety sensitivity (i.e., the extent to which individuals believe anxiety and anxiety-related sensations) in the relation between HIV-related stigma, social anxiety, anxious arousal, and HIV symptoms among a sample of 87 PLHIV (60.9% cis gender male, 52.9% Black, non-Hispanic). Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity mediated the relations between HIV-related stigma and the dependent variables, with effect sizes indicating moderate to large effects of anxiety sensitivity on these relations. Findings suggest that anxiety sensitivity be a mechanistic factor in the relations between HIV-related stigma and social anxiety, anxious arousal, and HIV symptoms, and therefore, be important element in efforts to reduce mental/physical health disparity among this population.