Psychological Effects of a Life Review Intervention for Persons With HIV Disease

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a life review intervention for persons with HIV disease. Twenty‐seven adults with HIV disease (16 had been diagnosed with AIDS) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a group life review intervention (n = 8), a traditional support group (n = 9), or a waiting list (n = 10). Using a pre‐post design, participants were compared on psychological measures of optimism, self‐esteem, purpose in life, coping ability, psychological distress, and death anxiety. Although analyses revealed no significant differences between the interventions, statistical trends and participants' written evaluations favored the life review intervention. Attrition was a significant problem. Discussion focuses on the special problems encountered in conducting psychological intervention research with an HIV‐positive population.

Gratitude lessens death anxiety

“…Despite such a potentially debilitating condition, there are currently no effective ways to reduce death anxiety. Experimental studies are lacking, and the few studies that have been done found little support for behavioral approaches (e.g., systematic desensitization and relaxation; Rasmussen et al 1998;Testa 1981;White et al 1983White et al -1984 or life review therapy (Vaughan and Kinnier 1996). Other approaches, such as regret therapy (Tomer and Eliason 1996) or spiritual counseling (Eliason 2000), have not been subject to experimental investigation.…”

End‐of‐Life Care: An Overview for Professional Counselors

“…For example, clinical trials of a meaning-centered group intervention, which was based on Frankl's ideas as well as listening to people who were dying, have demonstrated significant effects on the degree of sadness experienced by people with terminal cancer (see Greenstein & Breitbart, 2000). The counseling literature has reinforced the idea that counselors working with people facing EOL situations can learn from the experiences of, or provide assistance to, people who have faced death, are dying, or who have a chronic/terminal illness such as HIV (Buki, Kogan, Keen, & Uman, 2005;Burke & Miller, 1996;Freeman & Ward, 1998;Holt, Houg, & Romano, 1999;Ingersoll, 2000;Kinnier, Tribbensee, Rose, & Vaughan, 2001;Manis & Bodenhorn, 2006;O'Halloran & Altmaier, 1996;Shepherd Johnson, 2003;Springer & Lease, 2000;Vaughan & Kinnier, 1996).…”

A Structured Group for Gay Men Newly Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS

“…These issues include accelerated adult development (Stewart & Gregory, 1996), death and dying (Kain, 1989), stigma of HIV=AIDS (McKusick, 1989), disclosure of HIV status (Dworkin & Pincu, 1993), change of lifestyle (Jacobs, Harvill & Masson, 1994), rejection (Vaughan & Kinnier, 1996), coping with changes in physical appearance (Lloyd, 1992), coping with physical decline (Lopez & Getzel, 1984), and existential questions related to the meaning of life (Hoffman, 1991). 208 THE JOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN GROUP WORK / June 2004 In addition to the issues identified above, each high-risk group also experiences its own unique set of associated problems (Dworkin & Pincu, 1993).…”

“…Several authors have identified the main reactions to having HIV=AIDS as anger, anxiety, and depression (Cawyer & Smith-Dupre, 1995;Kain, 1989;McKusick, 1989;Rabkin, Remien, & Wilson, 1994). Other commonplace emotions include shame and guilt (Dworkin & Pincu, 1993), grief responses (Hoffman, 1991), feelings of helplessness and hopelessness (Vaughan & Kinnier, 1996), and self-contempt (Gambe & Getzel, 1989).…”