The purpose of this study was to evaluate a life review intervention for persons with HIV disease. Twenty‐seven adults with HIV disease (16 had been diagnosed with AIDS) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a group life review intervention (n = 8), a traditional support group (n = 9), or a waiting list (n = 10). Using a pre‐post design, participants were compared on psychological measures of optimism, self‐esteem, purpose in life, coping ability, psychological distress, and death anxiety. Although analyses revealed no significant differences between the interventions, statistical trends and participants' written evaluations favored the life review intervention. Attrition was a significant problem. Discussion focuses on the special problems encountered in conducting psychological intervention research with an HIV‐positive population.

Seventeen adults who experienced a life-threatening situation were interviewed to ascertain what they had learned about life from their confrontation with death. Interview questions focused on participants' philosophies of life, their personal regrets and priorities, and their advice to others. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative grounded theory and discovery-oriented techniques. Among the most common themes, the participants advocated less materialism, more spirituality, and more caring for and serving of others. After their confrontation with death they worried less about mundane issues and became more optimistic about the future of humankind. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Little is known about the relationship between AIDS beliefs and AIDS risk-reduction behavior, especially in young heterosexual adults. This study explores young women's beliefs and behavior regarding AIDS. The results of this exploratory study indicate that college women generally see AIDS as serious, do not see themselves as susceptible, and are uncertain if AIDS beliefs influence their contraceptive behavior. Higher susceptibility scores are consistently correlated with AIDS risk-reduction behavior, and women who believe that AIDS affects their contraceptive use are more likely to use condoms. Implications for practice and strategies to increase susceptibility in women at risk are discussed.