Expression and processing of emotions: Relationships with cd4+ levels in 42 hiv-positive asymptomatic individuals

Abstract

Background:The study investigated the relationship between CD4+ levels and two emotion-related measures, one of expressed emotion (Hostility directed Inwards, HdI) and one of capacity for emotional processing (Referential Activity, RA). Method: 42 HIV-I positive asymptomatic subjects, under AZT treatment, underwent CD4+ assessment immediately after a brief interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the GottschalkCleser and Referential Activity scales. Of the Gottschalk-Gleser scales, only HdI was considered.Resulrs: As hypothesized, the regression of emotion-related scores on CD4 + levels showed a curvilinear relationship with HdI scores, and a linear relationship with RA scores. Subjects with the best immune status therefore showed intermediate levels of expressed emotion and a high capacity for emotional processing. Conclusion: The findings support the usefulness of working through, rather than releasing emotion. Previous negative findings in the field might be explained by the unjustified assumption of linear relationships between expressed emotion and health.

Components of Hostility and Verbal Communication of Emotion

“…To the extent that such distinctions lead to different responses from others during social interaction, the behaviour of the hostile individual may construct a world that is different than it otherwise would be. While underscoring the complex organization of the communication of hostile individuals, like other recent studies (Solano et al, 2001) the present findings indicate that it is potentially informative to study components of hostility by sampling ecologically important verbal behaviour.…”

Emotions while awaiting lung transplantation: A comprehensive qualitative analysis

“…Differential consequences of emotion disclosure or non-disclosure on physiological and immunological reactions are not well understood yet, like the mechanisms underlying the effect of working through (or on) emotions (Solano et al, 2001). …”

“…The consequences of emotions’ disclosure or non-disclosure on physiological and immunological reactions are difficult to understand as well as the mechanisms underlying the possible positive effects of working through (or ‘on’) emotions (Solano et al, 2001). The presence of high control (also present in emotional intelligence dimensions, Hager and Orbell, 2003; Tapia and Marsh, 2006) may be related to the importance of handling a vital bodily function: breathing (Piot-Ziegler, 2012) as it is recognized to be also the most anxiety-eliciting situation to deal with, while waiting for lung transplantation.…”

“…The choice to disclose or not to disclose is context-dependent and related to the adequacy of the reactions of the person involved in the interaction (Figueiredo et al, 2004; Panagopoulou et al, 2002; Pennebaker, 1990; Piot-Ziegler et al, 2007). Differential consequences of emotion disclosure or non-disclosure on physiological and immunological reactions are not well understood yet, like the mechanisms underlying the effect of working through (or on) emotions (Solano et al, 2001).…”

Some thoughts between body and mind in the light of Wilma Bucci’s multiple code theory

“…I first became acquainted with Wilma Bucci’s thinking around the mid‐1990s when I discovered Referential Activity, a tool developed essentially for research in psychotherapy, to be also useful in psychosomatics – my main research interest – where it can be applied to document a subject’s degree of involvement with his/her internal experience (Solano et al ., 2001). I found that the more time elapsed, the more my interest in Multiple Code Theory grew, becoming broader and more theoretical, over and above my attraction to a sophisticated empirical research instrument.…”