THE EFFECT OF THERAPEUTIC TOUCH ON STRESS REDUCTION AND IMMUNE FUNCTION IN PERSONS WITH AIDS (IMMUNE DEFICIENCY).
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 59
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Physiological.
Description: Using Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings, this study sought to determine the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch in repatterning immune pattern subset and coping response to stress in individuals who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Twenty HIV positive males consented to participate in this experimental study.

The independent variable was Therapeutic Touch therapy. The dependent variables were CD4 counts and responses to the Coping Resource Inventory for Stress (CRIS). The subjects were matched according to age, pharmacological therapy, and CD4 counts, then randomly assigned to either the experimental or sham treatment group.

Statistical analyses with analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there was a significant difference in the CD4 counts and the overall coping resource effectiveness (CRE) scores in the experimental group following Therapeutic Touch. This indicates an increase in lymphocyte subset pattern as well as an increase in coping skills.

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch in repatterning the lymphocyte subset pattern and coping response to stress in HIV positive individuals.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-07, Section: B, page: 3692.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1995.

School code: 0005.