OBJECTIVE: This study compared written emotional disclosure and processing of trauma among a relatively rare group of people with AIDS with atypically favourable disease status with an HIV+ comparison group. The study also examined the mediational role of emotional/cognitive processing and natural killer (NK) cells. DESIGN: This study utilized a cross-sectional group comparison design. METHOD: Two HIV+ groups, the Healthy Survivors (N=37;>9-months with <50 CD4 cells/mm(3) and asymptomatic), and an HIV+ comparison groups (N=100) wrote essays describing their reactions to past traumas; these were scored for emotional disclosure/processing. RESULTS: Healthy survivors had higher levels of emotional disclosure and emotional/cognitive processing than the comparison group. Emotional/cognitive processing mediated the relationship between emotional disclosure and group membership. NK cell number mediated the relationship between emotional/cognitive processing and 'healthy survival'. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that higher levels of emotional disclosure and processing of trauma may confer health and immunological benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS.
OBJECTIVE: This study compared written emotional disclosure and processing of trauma among a relatively rare group of people with AIDS with atypically favourable disease status with an HIV+ comparison group. The study also examined the mediational role of emotional/cognitive processing and natural killer (NK) cells. DESIGN: This study utilized a cross-sectional group comparison design. METHOD: Two HIV+ groups, the Healthy Survivors (N=37;>9-months with <50 CD4 cells/mm(3) and asymptomatic), and an HIV+ comparison groups (N=100) wrote essays describing their reactions to past traumas; these were scored for emotional disclosure/processing. RESULTS: Healthy survivors had higher levels of emotional disclosure and emotional/cognitive processing than the comparison group. Emotional/cognitive processing mediated the relationship between emotional disclosure and group membership. NK cell number mediated the relationship between emotional/cognitive processing and 'healthy survival'. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that higher levels of emotional disclosure and processing of trauma may confer health and immunological benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS.
Authors: Gail Ironson; Conall O'Cleirigh; Mary Ann Fletcher; Jean Philippe Laurenceau; Elizabeth Balbin; Nancy Klimas; Neil Schneiderman; George Solomon Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2005 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Conall O'Cleirigh; Gail Ironson; Michael Antoni; Mary Anne Fletcher; Lisa McGuffey; Elizabeth Balbin; Neil Schneiderman; George Solomon Journal: J Psychosom Res Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 3.006
Authors: Allison J Applebaum; C Andres Bedoya; Ellen S Hendriksen; Jesse L Wilkinson; Steven A Safren; Conall O'Cleirigh Journal: J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care Date: 2014-11-10 Impact factor: 1.354
Authors: Roger C McIntosh; Gail Ironson; Michael Antoni; Betty Lai; Mahendra Kumar; Mary Ann Fletcher; Neil Schneiderman Journal: Int J Behav Med Date: 2017-04