You are invited to this week’s special talk organized by the Department of Psychology.
Everyone is welcome to attend!
How HIV Stigma Gets Under the Skin:
Psychosocial Mechanisms and Intersectional Stigma in Health Outcomes
Speaker: İbrahim Yiğit
(Clinical psychologist and research faculty member at Florida State University’s College of Nursing.)
Date: 04.03.2026, Wednesday
Time: 4:30 PM
Room: Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/93032616444
Meeting ID: 930 3261 6444
Abstract:
HIV-related stigma remains a powerful social determinant of health, shaping engagement in prevention and care and contributing to downstream health outcomes. My work examines how different forms of stigma, such as enacted experiences, anticipated rejection, and internalized stigma, translate into health behavior and clinical outcomes through psychosocial factors. Across studies in HIV prevention and care, I test explanatory mechanisms including depression, medical mistrust, social support, and self-efficacy, with an emphasis on identifying modifiable targets for intervention. A key extension of this program is an intersectional lens: stigma rarely operates in isolation, and its effects can be amplified when HIV stigma overlaps with other marginalized identities and structural disadvantages. In this talk, I will (1) summarize empirical evidence linking HIV stigma to health outcomes, (2) highlight psychosocial mechanisms that help explain these associations, and (3) discuss how intersectional stigma frameworks refine our understanding of who is most affected and why.
Short Biography: Dr. Ibrahim Yiğit is a clinical psychologist and research faculty member at Florida State University’s College of Nursing. He received his M.A. and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Ankara University. His research focuses on how HIV-related stigma affects health behaviors and outcomes, with particular attention to psychosocial mechanisms (e.g., mental health, social support, self-efficacy) and intersectional stigma. He specializes in advanced quantitative methods, including mediation and moderated-mediation models, to identify actionable targets for interventions that advance health equity, particularly for people living with HIV.