The Contribution of Stress, Cultural Factors, and Sexual Identity on the Substance Abuse, Violence, HIV, and Depression Syndemic Among Hispanic Men

Objective: The purpose of this study was to confirm the substance abuse, violence, HIV, and depression syndemic among Hispanic men, and to test whether stress and sociocultural factors, including acculturation, family support, and sexual orientation, predict this syndemic. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 164 Hispanic men using standardized measures for Hispanic Stress (Cervantes, Padilla, & Salgado de Snyder, 1991), substance abuse (Kelly et al., 1994), violence (Peragallo et al., 2005), risk for HIV (Gonzalez-Guarda, Peragallo, Urrutia, Vasquez, & Mitrani, 2008), and depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Scale, CES-D; Radloff, 1977). Results: Results from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) supported the syndemic factor among Hispanic men. While family/cultural stress and homosexual identity were risk factors for the syndemic factor, family support was protective. Conclusions: More longitudinal research is needed to identify influences on the syndemic factor among diverse Hispanic communities. Interventions that address stress and enhance family supports may show promise in addressing and preventing syndemics among Hispanic men.