Link found between stigma, cognitive performance in people with HIV
Stigma
related to human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) impairs
cognition in men living with the condition, finds a study.
The
findings of the McGill University study have been published in the Journal of
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
The
participants filled out a questionnaire asking how much stigma they experience.
Their answers were related to their results in cognitive testing and mental
health questionnaires.
Researchers
found that HIV-related stigma had direct effects on cognitive test performance
and anxiety. There was also a direct but weaker link between stigma and
depression. Through its effects on cognition, stigma was found to reduce
participation in social activities and impair function in everyday life.
This
study is the first to draw a direct connection between stigma and cognitive
performance in people with HIV. The mechanisms through which stigma affects
cognition are unclear, but might range from the impact of chronic stress on the
brain, to psychological effects such as internalised negative beliefs. Read
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