Bos A, Dijke A; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. MoPeD2766.

A. Bos, Maastricht University, Department of Health Education, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, Netherlands, Tel.: +31-43-3882435, Fax: +31-43-3671032, E-mail: a.bos@gvo.unimaas.nl

Background: This study investigates the effect of two ways of coping on emotional and stigmatizing reactions to persons with HIV (PWHs). It was expected that meeting a PWH would evoke stronger anxiety, pity, anger and stigmatization than meeting a healthy target. On the basis of theoretical insights it was predicted that 'active coping' would lead to less anxiety, anger, pity and stigmatization, and that 'emphasizing one's suffering' would lead to stronger pity and anxiety. Looseness=-10000 Methods: Participants (N = 136) were recruited from the community and stratified on the basis of gender, age and educational level. Participants were led to believe that they would meet a patient. In advance, they heard a short interview on tape with a male patient. There were four versions of this tape (PWH: active coping, PWH : emphasizing one's suffering, PWH: no coping information, Healthy person). Then, respondents answered questions about their emotional and behavioral reactions towards the patient. Subsequently, participants were taken to another room, where physical distance was measured. Finally, participants were debriefed. Results: Analysis of variance shows that contact with a PWH arouses more anxiety and pity than contact with a healthy target. There were no differences on anger and stigmatization. Further, participants in the 'active coping' or 'emphasizing one's suffering' condition did not differ from participants in the 'no information' condition with regard to emotional and stigmatizing reactions. However, 'emphasizing one's suffering' did have positive impact on prosocial behavior of women. Discussion: Anticipation of contact with a PWH indeed arouses more anxiety and pity than contact with a healthy target, but does not evoke stronger feelings of anger or stigmatization. In general, coping with HIV seems to have little impact on perceiver's emotional or stigmatizing reactions. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adaptation, Psychological
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Attitude
• Cognition
• Emotions
• Female
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Male
• Stereotyping
• Stress, Psychological

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0001025

UI: 102238516

From Meeting Abstracts