ms of its impact on distress, optimism does appear to be a useful coping strategy (Taylor et al., 1992). Coping mechanisms that protect against subjective vulnerability (feelings associated with learned helplessness) can be useful. Distress and vulnerability can vitiate immune system functioning (Mater et al., 1994). Lest the immune system be further depressed, PWAs should attempt to avoid feelings of vulnerability. Perhaps denial, a defensive strategy for reducing anxiety and subjective vulnerability, might have a salubrious impact. There is support for the idea that some forms of denial are helpful for people with HIV. PWAs who refuse to think about the disease, who go out more socially, and who joke about it (and their illnesses) display better mood (Namir et al., 1987). High scorers on a test of AIDS-specific optimism (which includes such items as "I feel safe from AIDS because I've developed an immunity" and "A person can be exposed to AIDS and successfully eliminate the virus from the body") are less distressed and are more likely to seek out social support (Taylor et al., 1992). High scorers on a distraction scale (which includes such items as "I try to keep it from bothering me," "I go out more socially," "I refuse to think about it," and "I work on trying to solve problems that my illness had brought on") use more active coping skills and score higher on dispositional optimism (Littrell, Diwan, & Bryant, 1996). Whereas some forms of denial have been associated with better outcome, mixed findings are obtained with regard to denial in the sense measured by the COPE denial scale (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989). The COPE denial scale includes the following four items: "I refuse to believe that it has happened," "I pretend that it hasn't happened," "I act as though it hasn't ever happened," and "I say to myself this isn't real." Ironson et al. (1994) found that high scores on the COPE denial scale predicted faster AIDS disease ...
