Guided imagery: A nursing intervention for symptoms related to infection with human immunodeficiency virus

Laboratory and clinical investigations have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive interventions for immune enhancement and symptom reduction. Insufficient research using these interventions with HIV positive populations, and findings confounded by multiple treatments supported the need for this study. A 3 x 3 randomized block pre-test, post-test design compared the effects of two treatments, a guided imagery (n = 23) or progressive muscle relaxation (n = 22) audiotape used daily for six weeks, to controls (n = 24). The three illness classifications, based on CDC criteria, were seropositive asymptomatic, AIDS-like syndrome, and AIDS. Sixty-nine of 81 randomly assigned subjects completed the study. Dependent variables included depression, fatigue, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, CD4+:CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio, and CD16+ lymphocyte count. These were measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (depression), the Sleep and Rest subscale of the Sickness Impact Profile (fatigue), and flow cytometry (lymphocytes). Data were analyzed with a hierarchical multiple regression model, holding pretreatment effects constant while assessing the contribution of each treatm ent to the dependent variables. Findings supported hypothesized associations between CD4+ lymphocyte count and CD4+:CD8+ ratio ({dollar}r = .84,{bsol} p amp;lt; .000{dollar}), CD4+ and CD16+ lymphocyte counts ({dollar} r = .38,{bsol} p = .001{dollar}), and CD16+ lymphocyte count and CD4+:CD8+ ratio ({dollar} r = .18,{bsol} p = .07{dollar}). Observed associations between fatigue and CD4+ lymphocyte count ({dollar} r = -.22,{bsol} p = .04{dollar}), CD16+ lymphocyte count ({dollar} r = -.11,{bsol} p = .18{dollar}), CD4:CD8+ ratio ({dollar}r = -.19,{bsol} p = .06{dollar}), and depression ({dollar}r = .52,{bsol} p amp;lt; .000{dollar}) also were as hypothesized. Not supported were hypothesized associations between depression and CD4+ lymphocyte count ({dollar}r = .01,{bsol} p = .46{dollar}), CD16+ lymphocyte count ({dollar}r = .02,{bsol} p = .43{dollar}), and CD4+:CD8+ ratio ({dollar} r = -.01,{bsol} p = .48{dollar}). Hypotheses of lower posttreatment fatigue (t = {dollar}-{dollar}2.06; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.04) and depression (t = {dollar}-{dollar}1.69; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.10) in the guided imagery group were supported. Hypotheses of higher posttreatment CD4 lymphocyte count (t =.26; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.80), CD16+ lymphocyte count (t = {dollar}-{dollar}1.03; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.31) and CD4+:CD8+ ratio (t =.35; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.73) in this group were not supported. Serendipitous findings revealed lower posttreatment depression (t = {dollar}-{dollar}2.10; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.04), and higher CD4+ lymphocyte count (t = 2.34; p {dollar}amp;lt;{dollar}.02) in the relaxation group. Results supported the effectiveness of both interventions for symptom alleviation, and of progressive muscle relaxation for immune enhancement in persons with HIV. Findings also indicated the existence of differential effects of behavioral interventions on symptoms and immunity in persons with HIV.