TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of future writing and optimism on health behaviors in HIV-infected women
AU - Mann, Traci
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Optimists (people who have positive expectations about the future) have been shown to perform more health-promoting behaviors than pessimists. This study attempts to alter individuals' levels of optimism, and thereby their health behaviors, by having them write about a positive future. HIV-infected women (N = 40) on combination therapies were randomly assigned to write about a positive future or assigned to a no-writing control group. Among participants who were low in optimism, the writing intervention led to increased optimism, a trend toward increased self-reported adherence to medications, and decreased distress from medication side effects, compared to controls who did not write. Participants who were high in optimism showed the opposite effects after writing about the future. Results suggest that a future-oriented writing intervention may be a promising technique to increase medication adherence and decrease symptom distress in pessimistic individuals.
AB - Optimists (people who have positive expectations about the future) have been shown to perform more health-promoting behaviors than pessimists. This study attempts to alter individuals' levels of optimism, and thereby their health behaviors, by having them write about a positive future. HIV-infected women (N = 40) on combination therapies were randomly assigned to write about a positive future or assigned to a no-writing control group. Among participants who were low in optimism, the writing intervention led to increased optimism, a trend toward increased self-reported adherence to medications, and decreased distress from medication side effects, compared to controls who did not write. Participants who were high in optimism showed the opposite effects after writing about the future. Results suggest that a future-oriented writing intervention may be a promising technique to increase medication adherence and decrease symptom distress in pessimistic individuals.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035119833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035119833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1207/S15324796ABM2301_5
DO - 10.1207/S15324796ABM2301_5
M3 - Article
C2 - 11302353
AN - SCOPUS:0035119833
SN - 0883-6612
VL - 23
SP - 26
EP - 33
JO - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
JF - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
IS - 1
ER -