Exploring self-esteem during expressive writing about trauma predicts decreased depression in people with HIV.
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| Title: | Exploring self-esteem during expressive writing about trauma predicts decreased depression in people with HIV. |
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| Authors: | Verhagen, Rachel M., Carrico, Adam W., Hylton, Emily M., Stuetzle, Rick, Ironson, Gail |
| Source: | AIDS Care. Nov2023, Vol. 35 Issue 11, p1654-1660. 7p. |
| Subjects: | Prevention of mental depression, Self-perception, Viral load, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Psychological tests, Hamilton Depression Inventory, Research funding, Descriptive statistics, CD4 lymphocyte count, Written communication, Emotions, Psychology of HIV-positive persons, Longitudinal method |
| Abstract: | Self-esteem is often negatively impacted by trauma. Low self-esteem has been related to significantly worse depression in people with HIV (PWH). This study explores whether the expression of words related to self-esteem during a 4-session augmented trauma writing intervention predicted post-traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and health outcomes 6-months later. Ninety-five PWH completed four 30-minute augmented trauma writing sessions in the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial. One augmented session was devoted to self-esteem. Two individuals coded trauma essays for number of self-esteem words. CD4+ and viral load data were collected, and the Davidson PTSD Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were administered at baseline, one-, and six-month follow-up. Greater total self-esteem words were related to lower depressive symptoms at 6-months, controlling for depressive symptoms at study entry, age, race, and education (t(80) = −2.235, ß = −0.239, SE = 0.283, p < 0.05, 95% CI [−1.195, −.069). Total self-esteem words were not predictive of PTSD, viral load, or CD4+ at 6-months. Exploring self-esteem when writing about and processing a traumatic event could be an important mechanism for decreasing depressive symptoms among PWH. Research is needed to test augmented expressive writing interventions that support efforts to bolster self-esteem in PWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Self-esteem is often negatively impacted by trauma. Low self-esteem has been related to significantly worse depression in people with HIV (PWH). This study explores whether the expression of words related to self-esteem during a 4-session augmented trauma writing intervention predicted post-traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and health outcomes 6-months later. Ninety-five PWH completed four 30-minute augmented trauma writing sessions in the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial. One augmented session was devoted to self-esteem. Two individuals coded trauma essays for number of self-esteem words. CD4+ and viral load data were collected, and the Davidson PTSD Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were administered at baseline, one-, and six-month follow-up. Greater total self-esteem words were related to lower depressive symptoms at 6-months, controlling for depressive symptoms at study entry, age, race, and education (t(80) = −2.235, ß = −0.239, SE = 0.283, p < 0.05, 95% CI [−1.195, −.069). Total self-esteem words were not predictive of PTSD, viral load, or CD4+ at 6-months. Exploring self-esteem when writing about and processing a traumatic event could be an important mechanism for decreasing depressive symptoms among PWH. Research is needed to test augmented expressive writing interventions that support efforts to bolster self-esteem in PWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 09540121 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09540121.2023.2206098 |
