UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Gonzalez, Adam
Dept./Program:
Psychology
Year:
2011
Degree:
PhD
Abstract:
Although beneficial treatments have allowed for the improved management of HIV/AIDS, scientific efforts to understand the psychosocial consequences of this illness are only beginning to emerge. Here, it is alarming that little work has focused on the link between HIV/AIDS and anxiety, particularly because this disease is associated with many negative affective and somatic symptoms, due to HIV/AIDS and medication management, which often elicit anxiety. The primary aim of the current study was to explore malleable cognitive factors that may be relevant to understanding anxiety and worry about bodily sensations among a HIV/AIDS population.
Specifically, this investigation sought to concurrently test the main d interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and mindful attention in regard to symptoms of (a) anxious arousal (anxiety symptoms that do not correlate with depressive states), (b) bodily vigilance (attentional allocation to bodily sensations), (c) interoceptive fear (fear of internal experiences and states), and (d) HIV symptom distress (severity of HIV symptoms [primarily somatic in origin]) among individuals living with HIV/AIDS. It was hypothesized that higher levels of mindful attention, in combination with lower leveIs of anxiety sensitivity, would predict the lowest levels of anxiety and worry about bodily sensations, as compared to all other combinations of the two primary predictor variables.
Additionally, it was expected that lower levels of mindful attention in combination with higher levels of anxiety sensitivity would be associated with the highest concurrent levels of anxiety and worry about bodily sensations, as compared to all other combinations of the two predictors. Participants were 164 adults (17.1% female; Mage 48.41, SD = 9.57) with HIV/AIDS recruited from AIDS service organizations in Verm ont/New Hampshire and New York City. Contrary to prediction, the interaction between anxiety sensitivity and mindful attention was not significantly related to the outcome variables. However, there were, as expected, significant incremental main effects. Namely, anxiety sensitivity was positively and significantly related to symptoms of anxious arousal, body vigilance, and interoceptive, but not HIV symptom distress. Mindful attention was negatively and significantly related to symptoms of anxious arousal, interoceptive fear, and HIV symptom distress, but not body vigilance. I discuss possible explanations for the observed results, as well as clinical implications, study limitations, and future directions for this line of scientific inquiry.
Specifically, this investigation sought to concurrently test the main d interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and mindful attention in regard to symptoms of (a) anxious arousal (anxiety symptoms that do not correlate with depressive states), (b) bodily vigilance (attentional allocation to bodily sensations), (c) interoceptive fear (fear of internal experiences and states), and (d) HIV symptom distress (severity of HIV symptoms [primarily somatic in origin]) among individuals living with HIV/AIDS. It was hypothesized that higher levels of mindful attention, in combination with lower leveIs of anxiety sensitivity, would predict the lowest levels of anxiety and worry about bodily sensations, as compared to all other combinations of the two primary predictor variables.
Additionally, it was expected that lower levels of mindful attention in combination with higher levels of anxiety sensitivity would be associated with the highest concurrent levels of anxiety and worry about bodily sensations, as compared to all other combinations of the two predictors. Participants were 164 adults (17.1% female; Mage 48.41, SD = 9.57) with HIV/AIDS recruited from AIDS service organizations in Verm ont/New Hampshire and New York City. Contrary to prediction, the interaction between anxiety sensitivity and mindful attention was not significantly related to the outcome variables. However, there were, as expected, significant incremental main effects. Namely, anxiety sensitivity was positively and significantly related to symptoms of anxious arousal, body vigilance, and interoceptive, but not HIV symptom distress. Mindful attention was negatively and significantly related to symptoms of anxious arousal, interoceptive fear, and HIV symptom distress, but not body vigilance. I discuss possible explanations for the observed results, as well as clinical implications, study limitations, and future directions for this line of scientific inquiry.