Internalized HIV Stigma and Disclosure Concerns: Development and Validation of Two Scales in Spanish-Speaking Populations

AIDS Behav. 2017 Jan;21(1):93-105. doi: 10.1007/s10461-016-1305-1.

Abstract

Internalized stigma and disclosure concerns are key elements for the study of mental health in people living with HIV. Since no measures of these constructs were available for Spanish population, this study sought to develop such instruments, to analyze their reliability and validity and to provide a short version. A heterogeneous sample of 458 adults from different Spanish-speaking countries completed the HIV-Internalized Stigma Scale and the HIV-Disclosure Concerns Scale, along with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale and other socio-demographic variables. Reliability and correlation analyses, exploratory factor analyses, path analyses with latent variables, and ANOVAs were conducted to test the scales' psychometric properties. The scales showed good reliability in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability, as well as good sensitivity and factorial and criterion validity. The HIV-Internalized Stigma Scale and the HIV-Disclosure Concerns Scale are reliable and valid means to assess these variables in several contexts.

Keywords: HIV disclosure concerns; HIV internalized stigma; HIV stigma assessment; Spanish.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anxiety
  • Colombia
  • Depression
  • Disclosure
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Latin America
  • Male
  • Mexico
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self Concept
  • Self Disclosure*
  • Social Stigma*
  • Spain
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult