Predictors of Self-Reported Physical Symptoms in Low-Income, Inner-City African American Women: The Role of Optimism, Depressive Symptoms, and Chronic Illness

In this study we examined the association of optimism and depressive symptoms with self-reported physical symptoms in 241 low-income, inner-city African American women with or without a chronic illness (HIV). Although optimism was not a unique predictor of self-reported physical symptoms over and ab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of women quarterly 2004-06, Vol.28 (2), p.112-121
Main Authors: Jones, Deborah J., O'Connell, Cara, Gound, Mary, Heller, Laurie, Forehand, Rex
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Black American people
Chronic Illness
Chronic illnesses
Chronic sickness
Communicable Diseases
Depression
Depression (Psychology)
Females
Feminism
Feminist psychology
Health
Health Conditions
HIV
Illness
Inner cities
Low income
Low Income Groups
Low income women
Mental depression
Optimism
Personality Traits
Physical symptoms
Predictor Variables
Predictors
Psychology
Selfreport
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Urban Areas
Women
Womens studies
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Summary:In this study we examined the association of optimism and depressive symptoms with self-reported physical symptoms in 241 low-income, inner-city African American women with or without a chronic illness (HIV). Although optimism was not a unique predictor of self-reported physical symptoms over and above depressive symptoms, optimism interacted with depressive symptoms and health status. In the community sample, but not the chronically ill sample, optimism buffered the association between depressive symptoms and self-reported physical symptoms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
ISSN:0361-6843
1471-6402
DOI:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2004.00128.x