Abstract: Stigmatized people have a vast array of coping strategies towards stigma-related stressors resulting from their devalued social status, including emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses. There is an increasing interest in theorizing these coping strategies in generally, and coping strategies towards HIV/AIDS related stigma in particular. According to different academic criteria, strategies of coping with stigma have been categorized as follows: problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies, engagement and disengagement strategies, proactive and reactive strategies. People with concealable stigma always adopt the coping tactics of disclosure/concealment. Qualitative methods have been increasingly employed in the field. More attention should be paid to coping environment, coping strategies in relation to different forms of stigma, the multiple dimensional nature of coping responses, and appraisals on the effects of diverse coping strategies.

Key words: stigma, the stigmatized, coping strategies, HIV/AIDS related stigma