Event Appraisal: A Potential Mechanism in an HIV Intervention

Hassles, or stress-evoking daily events (DEs), are predictive of mortality, whereas uplifts, or positivity-evoking DEs, are associated with decreased depression. We conducted a randomized trial of an intervention aiming to increase positive affect (PA) during a stressful event; testing positive for HIV. A significant intervention component concerned positive reappraisal. Participants, newly diagnosed with HIV, were randomized into an intervention condition (N=80), in which they received information/home practice activities on 8 PA skills over 5 weeks, or into an attention-matched control condition (N=79). At baseline, 5, 10, and 15 months, participants completed self-reports of past-24 hour DEs as hassles/uplifts. Intervention participants were more likely to rate DEs as having more positive impacts, F(1, 144.34)=5.77, p=.017, and marginally more likely to rate DEs as uplifts post-intervention, F(1, 146.71)=3.05, p=.083 than those in control. Results suggest DE appraisal as one possible mechanism for effects of PA interventions on well-being.