Mindfulness, Mental Health, and Violence Exposure Among Transgender Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic.
Beth J Maclin, Yeycy Donastorg, Martha Perez, Hoisex Gomez, Clare Barrington, Deanna Kerrigan
Transgender health June 2026 DOI: 10.1177/26884887251365815 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Transgender female sex workers living with HIV in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dominican republic Mental health Sex work Transgender Violence |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was associated with lower depression and anxiety scores. Mindfulness moderated the relationship between violence exposure and depression, but only for participants in the mid-level violence exposure class. The authors present this as formative work supporting future mindfulness-based interventions for this population. |
Abstract
Mental illness is a significant public health issue among transgender female sex workers (FSW). A variety of factors inform the prevalence of mental illness among transgender FSW, including violence exposure and stigma. Mindfulness, the process of paying attention to the immediate experience with awareness and attentiveness in a nonjudgmental way, has been shown to improve mental health among stigmatized populations, including cisgender FSW living with HIV. This analysis examines the relationship between mindfulness and mental health among transgender FSW living with HIV in the Dominican Republic (DR) and investigates if mindfulness impacts the relationship between violence exposure and mental health. One hundred transgender FSW living with HIV participated in a cross-sectional survey in Santo Domingo, DR, in 2019. We conducted multivariate linear regressions to assess the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety and depression, respectively, adjusting for covariates. We also conducted multivariate linear regression for the impact of violence exposure (a three-class latent variable) on each outcome, moderating for mindfulness and adjusting for covariates. Mindfulness was associated with lower depression and anxiety scores and moderated the relationship between violence exposure and depression, but only for those in the mid-level violence exposure class. This formative work creates a strong foundation for future implementation and evaluation of mindfulness-based interventions with this population to address their mental health needs. Future research should examine the relationships between mindfulness, social support, social cohesion, and social change.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- Exploring the dynamics of ART adherence in the context of a mindfulness instruction intervention among youth living with HIV in Baltimore, Maryland AIDS Care July 1, 2018
- Mindfulness-based programmes and 'bigger than self' issues: protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open March 15, 2023
- Mindfulness, Mental Health and HIV Outcomes Among Female Sex Workers in the Dominican Republic and Tanzania. AIDS and behavior January 28, 2021
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Anxiety Disorders. A Systematic Meta-Review European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education July 14, 2020
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Adults Living with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. AIDS and behavior 2019
and 5 more in the library