title: Coping and cognitive processing style in HIV-positive subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People's reactions to traumatic events are mediated by their subjective style of coping. This is of particular importance for HIV+ patients, mainly in the first phases of the disease. This work aimed at examining whether an 'acceptance' style of coping, as opposed to a 'mental disengagement' style, selectively influences the first stages of the processing of neutral, emotional and HIV-related information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of 11 HIV+ asymptomatic subjects were chosen according to their coping strategies, acceptance or mental disengagement, as measured by Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE). Twenty-two patients completed the Emotional Stroop Task and an incidental memory recognition task containing neutral, emotional and HIV-related stimuli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of reaction times (RTs) on the Emotional Stroop Task showed that HIV+ subjects have longer RTs for emotional and HIV-related than for neutral words. Instead, no effect was found as regards interaction with style of coping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results confirmed a processing bias of emotional information, whereas Acceptance and Mental disengagement strategies, as measured by the COPE scales, did not appear to influence information processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. cnovara@ux1.unipd.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Novara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Compostella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dorz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanavio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sica
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008606:Mental Processes; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time