Symposia
Health Psychology / Behavioral Medicine - Adult
Emily Braunewell, M.Ed.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Jacklyn D. Foley, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Conall O'Cleirigh, Ph.D.
Director, Behavioral Medicine
Harvard Medical School/ Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts
Abigail W. Batchelder, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
MGH/Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
Background. Men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV who use substances experience disproportionate discrimination due to interlocking identities, including race. Experiencing discrimination based on one’s identity is associated with the trauma-related symptoms, specifically emotional and physical hyperarousal; however, preliminary evidence suggests that motivation style may mitigate the relationship between discrimination experiences and trauma symptoms. This study aims to examine the moderating role of approach (moving toward a goal) versus inhibition (avoiding something unpleasant) motivation on the relationship between racial discrimination and trauma-induced hyperarousal.
Methods. This is a secondary data analysis of a sample of 202 MSM living with HIV who use substances. Discrimination related to race was assessed using a revised version of the Multiple Discrimination Scale (MDS). Behavioral motivation was assessed as approach motivation (using 3 subscales: drive, reward responsiveness, and fun seeking) and inhibition motivation (using a single scale). Trauma-induced hyperarousal was assessed using the SPAN anger and physiological arousal subscales. Bivariate correlates were conducted for all variables. Multiple linear regressions were then conducted using PROCESS 3 to assess the extent that type of motivation moderated relationships between discrimination and trauma-induced hyperarousal.
Results. Reward responsiveness was the only motivation subscale found to moderate the relationship between discrimination and hyperarousal symptoms – anger (p = .05) and physiological arousal (p = .05). At low reward responsiveness, more frequent experiences of race-based discrimination were associated with greater reported anger (b = .14, SE = .08, t = 1.77, p = .07), and greater reported arousal (b = .17, SE = .10, t = 1.65, p = .10). At higher levels of reward responsiveness, this effect was no longer significant for anger (b = -.05, SE = .08, t = -.58, p = .56) or arousal (b = -.08, SE = .10, t = -.76, p = .45).
Conclusion. We found that reward responsiveness was the only motivation style that moderated the relationship between racial discrimination and trauma-induced hyperarousal. Specifically, individuals with lower responsiveness to rewards reported higher hyperarousal in response to racial discrimination. These findings demonstrate how motivation style may contribute to differential impacts of racial discrimination on psychological health, which could inform future trauma assessment and intervention strategies.