The effects of expressive writing on adjustment to HIV.
Previous research suggests that writing about stressful experiences results in better health and psychological well-being. In the present study, a multi-ethnic sample of 79 HIV-positive women and men participated in a structured interview, and wrote about either their deepest thoughts and feelings about living with HIV (expressive writing) or their activities in the last 24 hr (control). Sixty-two participants returned for the 2-month follow-up and 50 returned for the 6-month follow-up interview. Oral fluid samples of beta2-microglobulin were taken at the baseline and follow-up assessments to examine the immunological effects of writing. No effects of writing condition were found, but expressive writing participants who included increasing insight/causation and social words in their writing had better immune function and reported more positive changes at follow-up. Results suggest that cognitive processing and changes in social interactions may be critical to the benefits of writing.
Rivkin
Inna D
ID
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759, USA. irivkin@ucla.edu
Gustafson
Julie
J
Weingarten
Ilene
I
Chin
Dorothy
D
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014825:Vocabulary; D014956:Writing; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis
D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin