RESEARCH PAPER
Psychological well-being of housewives living with HIV/AIDS: stigma and forgiveness
1
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
Submission date: 2019-04-08
Final revision date: 2019-07-07
Acceptance date: 2019-07-07
Publication date: 2020-03-09
HIV & AIDS Review 2020;19(1):24-29
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Housewives living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) encounter both social and psychological issues that are mainly associated with stigmatization as a result of their medical condition. Stigmatization is even stronger among housewives living with HIV as compared with husbands living with the same virus. The reason of this unequal stigmatization can originate from social expectations of feminine behavior as well as the common association between sexually transmitted infections and extramarital sex or drug abuse. This study aimed to investigate the influence of stigma and forgiveness toward psychological well-being among housewives living with HIV/AIDS.
Material and methods:
This was a cross-sectional study, with purposive sampling used to select participants based on characteristics and the objective of the study. The study was community-based and involved one hundred and twelve housewives living with HIV/AIDS. Information about HIV infection by a husband were obtained from self-reports. All participants signed an informed consent. Data collection was carried out for two months and information were collected with the use of questionnaires. The derived data were analyzed using stepwise regression.
Results:
Stigma and forgiveness influenced psychological well-being of housewives living with HIV/AIDS. Instrumental stigma and symbolic stigma were both negatively correlated with psychological well-being, respectively (β = –0.705, β = –0.769; p < 0.01). Moreover, interpersonal forgiveness positively related to psychological well-being (β = 0.356, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Forgiveness helped housewives to live more in the present moment and to reconcile with the past. Forgiveness could influence personal outcome and have a positive impact on a relationship. The act of forgiveness was significantly influential on the standard of health and well-being. Limitation of the study was that all variables were measured by self-report, which may have some bias. Hence, further research is required to measure all variables by an in-depth interview, exploring attitudes toward stigma and forgiveness.
Housewives living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) encounter both social and psychological issues that are mainly associated with stigmatization as a result of their medical condition. Stigmatization is even stronger among housewives living with HIV as compared with husbands living with the same virus. The reason of this unequal stigmatization can originate from social expectations of feminine behavior as well as the common association between sexually transmitted infections and extramarital sex or drug abuse. This study aimed to investigate the influence of stigma and forgiveness toward psychological well-being among housewives living with HIV/AIDS.
Material and methods:
This was a cross-sectional study, with purposive sampling used to select participants based on characteristics and the objective of the study. The study was community-based and involved one hundred and twelve housewives living with HIV/AIDS. Information about HIV infection by a husband were obtained from self-reports. All participants signed an informed consent. Data collection was carried out for two months and information were collected with the use of questionnaires. The derived data were analyzed using stepwise regression.
Results:
Stigma and forgiveness influenced psychological well-being of housewives living with HIV/AIDS. Instrumental stigma and symbolic stigma were both negatively correlated with psychological well-being, respectively (β = –0.705, β = –0.769; p < 0.01). Moreover, interpersonal forgiveness positively related to psychological well-being (β = 0.356, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Forgiveness helped housewives to live more in the present moment and to reconcile with the past. Forgiveness could influence personal outcome and have a positive impact on a relationship. The act of forgiveness was significantly influential on the standard of health and well-being. Limitation of the study was that all variables were measured by self-report, which may have some bias. Hence, further research is required to measure all variables by an in-depth interview, exploring attitudes toward stigma and forgiveness.
REFERENCES (30)
1.
Ministry of Health of Indonesia. Cases of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia reported up to June 2018. Department of Health Services, 2018.
2.
Leserman J. Role of depression, stress, and trauma in HIV disease progression. Psychosom Med 2008; 70: 539-545.
3.
Ryff CD. Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological wellbeing. J Pers Soc Psychol 1989, 57: 1069-1081.
4.
Zulkarnain Z. The mediating effect of quality of work life on the relationship between career development and psychological well-being. International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology 2013; 2: 67-80.
5.
Kafka GJ, Kozma A. The construct validity of Ryff’s scales of psychological well-being (SPWB) and their relationship to measures of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research 2002; 57: 171-190.
6.
Golub SA, Botsko M, Gameral KE, Parsons JT, Brennan M, Karpiak SE. Dimensions of psychological well-being predict consistent condom use among older adults living with HIV. Int J Ageing 2011; 36: 346-360.
7.
Ryff CD, Singer BH. Psychological well-being, meaning, measurement, and implications for psychotherapy research. J Psychother Psychosom 1996; 65: 14-23.
8.
de Almeida AN, Silveira LC, da Silva MR, Araújo MA, Guimarães TA. Subjectivity and sexuality production in women living with HIV/AIDS: a sociopathic production. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2010; 18: 163-169.
9.
Jacubowski N. Marriage is not a safe place: heterosexual marriage and HIV-related vulnerability in Indonesia. Cult Health Sex 2008; 10: 87-97.
10.
Smallman S. The AIDS pandemic in Latin America. University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
11.
Vanable PA, Michael PC, Donald CB, Rae AL. Impact of HIV-related stigma on health behaviors and psychological adjustment among HIV-positive men and woman. J AIDS Behav 2016; 10: 473-482.
12.
Deacon H, Inez S. HIV/AIDS, stigma and children: a literature review. HSRS Press, Cape Town 2010.
13.
Herek GM. Thinking about AIDS and stigma: a psychologist’s perspective. J Law Med Ethics 2002; 30: 594-607.
14.
Worthington EL. Forgiveness and reconciliation: theory and application. New York, 2006.
15.
Konstam VFM, Jennifer S, Nancy EL, Anne KH. Forgiveness in practice: what mental health counselors are telling us. In: Before Forgiving. Murphy ISL (ed.). New York, 2002; 54-72.
16.
Baumeister RF, Julie JE, Kristin LS. The victim role, grudge theory, and two dimensions of forgiveness. In: Dimensions of Forgiveness: Psychological Research and Theological Perspectives. Worthington EL Jr (ed.). Philadelphia 1999; 79-104.
17.
McCullough ME, Fincham FD, Tsang JA. Forgiveness, forbearance, and time: the temporal unfolding of transgression-related interpersonal motivations. J Pers Soc Psychol 2003; 84: 540-557.
18.
Moorhead HH, Carman MG, Casey ABM, Jane EM. Forgive and forget? Forgiveness, personality, and wellness among counselors-in-training. Counseling and Values 2012; 57: 81-95.
19.
Bravo PG, Adrian SR, Elwyn G. Tough decisions faced by people living with HIV: a literature review of psychosocial problems. AIDS Rev 2010; 12: 76-88.
20.
Simbayi L, Kalichman S, Strebel A, Cloete A, Henda N, Mqeketo A. Internalized stigma, discrimination, and depression among men and women living with HIV or AIDS in Cape Town, South Africa. Soc Sci Med 2007; 64: 1823-1831.
21.
Mak WW, Phoenix KM, Rebeca MC, Jean W, Fanny MC, Dominic L. Comparative stigma of HIV/AIDS, SARS, and tuberculosis in Hong Kong. Soc Sci Med 2006; 63: 1912-1922.
22.
Asante KO. Social support and the psychological wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana. Afr J Psychiatry 2012; 15: 340-345.
23.
Temoshok LR, Rebecca LW. Forgiveness and health in persons living with HIV-AIDS. In: Handbook of Forgiveness. Worthington EL (ed.). New York 2005; 335-348.
24.
Webb JR, Loren T, Claire ZK, Denise GT. Forgiveness and health related outcomes among people with spinal cord injury. Disabil Rehab 2010; 32: 360-366.
25.
Hua WQ. Back in my hands: the role of self-forgiveness and stigma in HIV positive adults. Dissertation, USA, 2012.
26.
Karremans JC, Paul AM. Back to caring after being hurt: the role of forgiveness. Eur J Soc Psychol 2004; 34: 207-227.
27.
Tsang JA, Michael EC, Frank DF. Forgiveness and the psychological dimension of reconciliation: a longitudinal analysis. J Soc Clin Psychol 2006; 25: 404-428.
28.
Berry JW, Worthington LE. Forgivingness, relationship quality, stress while imagining relationship events, and physical and mental health. J Counsel Psychol 2001; 48: 447-455.
29.
Reis HT, Kennon MS, Shelly LG, Joseph R, Richard MR. Daily well-being: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2000; 26: 419-435.
30.
Trochim W, Donnelly J. The Research Methods Knowledge Base. 3rd ed. Atomic Dog Publishing Inc., Mason 2008.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 1732-2707 |
| ISSN: | 1730-1270 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
