The development and psychometric properties of the HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory (HARSI).
Abstract
Shame has been shown to predict sexual HIV transmission risk behavior, medication
non-adherence, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, and symptoms of depression and PTSD. However,
there remains a dearth of tools to measure the specific constructs of HIV-related
and sexual abuse-related shame. To ameliorate this gap, we present a 31-item measure
that assesses HIV and sexual abuse-related shame, and the impact of shame on HIV-related
health behaviors. A diverse sample of 271 HIV-positive men and women who were sexually
abused as children completed the HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory (HARSI) among
other measures. An exploratory factor analysis supported the retention of three-factors,
explaining 56.7% of the sample variance. These internally consistent factors showed
good test-retest reliability, and sound convergent and divergent validity using eight
well-established HIV specific and general psychosocial criterion measures. Unlike
stigma or discrimination, shame is potentially alterable through individually-focused
interventions, making the measurement of shame clinically meaningful.
Type
Journal articleSubject
AdolescentAdult
Child Abuse, Sexual
Depression
Female
HIV Seropositivity
Health Status Indicators
Humans
Male
Medication Adherence
Personality Inventory
Prejudice
Psychometrics
Quality of Life
Reproducibility of Results
Sexual Behavior
Shame
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
Young Adult
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6060Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1007/s10461-011-0086-9Publication Info
Neufeld, Sharon AS; Sikkema, Kathleen J; Lee, Rachel S; Kochman, Arlene; & Hansen,
Nathan B (2012). The development and psychometric properties of the HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory
(HARSI). AIDS Behav, 16(4). pp. 1063-1074. 10.1007/s10461-011-0086-9. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6060.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kathleen J. Sikkema
Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Kathleen J. Sikkema, Ph.D., Gosnell Family Professor of Global Health, Psychology
and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, is a
clinical psychologist with emphases in health and community psychology. She is the
Director of Doctoral Studies at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), Director
of the Social and Behavioral Science Core in Duke's Center for AIDS Research (CFAR),
an

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