
There is increasing evidence that forgiveness may have beneficial effects on our health. These benefits range from improved cardiovascular function to an enhanced quality of life for those who are very ill. Despite these findings, barely half of Americans say that they have forgiven others for hurtful acts, according to a survey published in the Journal of Adult Development.
In this Medically Speaking podcast, Dr. Lydia Temoshok describes the health benefits of forgiveness. Dr. Temoshok is director of the behavioral medicine program at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and is also a professor of medicine. In this interview with Tim McCoy, Dr. Temoshok also talks about how people with different personality types approach forgiveness and the important role of forgiveness in helping people who are living with HIV/AIDS.