19/07/2015 Stress Weakens the Immune System

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StressWeakenstheImmuneSystem
Friends,relaxationstrengthenhealth.

WhattheResearchShows
Stressedout?Lonelyordepressed?Don'tbesurprisedifyoucomedownwithsomething.Psychologistsinthefieldof"psychoneuroimmunology"haveshownthatstateofmind
affectsone'sstateofhealth.

Intheearly1980s,psychologistJaniceKiecoltGlaser,PhD,andimmunologistRonaldGlaser,PhD,oftheOhioStateUniversityCollegeofMedicine,wereintriguedbyanimal
studiesthatlinkedstressandinfection.From1982through1992,thesepioneerresearchersstudiedmedicalstudents.Amongotherthings,theyfoundthatthestudents'immunity
wentdowneveryyearunderthesimplestressofthethreedayexamperiod.Testtakershadfewernaturalkillercells,whichfighttumorsandviralinfections.Theyalmoststopped
producingimmunityboostinggammainterferonandinfectionfightingTcellsrespondedonlyweaklytotesttubestimulation.

Thosefindingsopenedthefloodgatesofresearch.By2004,SuzanneSegerstrom,PhD,oftheUniversityofKentucky,andGregoryMiller,PhD,oftheUniversityofBritishColumbia,
hadnearly300studiesonstressandhealthtoreview.Theirmetaanalysisdiscernedintriguingpatterns.Labstudiesthatstressedpeopleforafewminutesfoundaburstofone
typeof"firstresponder"activitymixedwithothersignsofweakening.Forstressofanysignificantdurationfromafewdaystoafewmonthsoryears,ashappensinreallifeall
aspectsofimmunitywentdownhill.Thuslongtermorchronicstress,throughtoomuchwearandtear,canravagetheimmunesystem.

Themetaanalysisalsorevealedthatpeoplewhoareolderoralreadysickaremorepronetostressrelatedimmunechanges.Forexample,a2002studybyLyanneMcGuire,PhD,
ofJohnHopkinsSchoolofMedicinewithKiecoltGlaserandGlaserreportedthatevenchronic,subclinicalmilddepressionmaysuppressanolderperson'simmunesystem.
Participantsinthestudywereintheirearly70sandcaringforsomeonewithAlzheimer'sdisease.ThosewithchronicmilddepressionhadweakerlymphocyteTcellresponsesto
twomitogens,whichmodelhowthebodyrespondstovirusesandbacteria.Theimmuneresponsewasdowneven18monthslater,andimmunitydeclinedwithage.Inlinewiththe
2004metaanalysis,itappearedthatthekeyimmunefactorwasduration,notseverity,ofdepression.Andinthecaseoftheoldercaregivers,theirdepressionandagemeanta
doublewhammyforimmunity.

Theresearchersnotedthatlackofsocialsupporthasbeenreportedintheresearchasariskfactorfordepression,aninsightamplifiedina2005studyofcollegestudents.Health
psychologistsSarahPressman,PhD,SheldonCohen,PhD,andfellowresearchersatCarnegieMellonUniversity'sLaboratoryfortheStudyofStress,ImmunityandDisease,found
thatsocialisolationandfeelingsoflonelinesseachindependentlyweakenedfirstyearstudents'immunity.

Inthestudy,studentsgotflushotsattheuniversityhealthcenter,describedtheirsocialnetworks,andkepttrackoftheirdaytodayfeelingsusingahandheldcomputer(anew
techniquecalled"momentaryecologicalawareness").Theyalsoprovidedsalivasamplesformeasuringlevelsofthestresshormonecortisol.Smallnetworksandlonelinesseach
independentlyweakenedimmunitytoacorevaccinecomponent.Immuneresponsewasmostweakenedbythecombinationoflonelinessandsmallsocialnetworks,anobvious
healthstressfacingshynewstudentswhohaveyettobuildtheirfriendshipcircles.

WhattheResearchMeans
Emergingevidenceistracingthepathwaysofthemindbodyinteraction.Forexample,asseenwiththecollegestudents,chronicfeelingsoflonelinesscanhelptopredicthealth
statusperhapsbecauselonelypeoplehavemorepsychologicalstressorexperienceitmoreintenselyandthatstressinturntampsdownimmunity.It'salsonosurprisethat
depressionhurtsimmunityit'salsolinkedtootherphysicalproblemssuchasheartdisease.Atthesametime,depressionmaybothreflectalackofsocialsupportand/orcause
someonetowithdrawfromsocialties.Bothcanbestressfulandhurtthebody'sabilitytofightinfection.

Allofthesefindingsextendwhatweknowabouthowstressmanagementandinterpersonalrelationshipscanbenefitdaytodayhealth,doingeverythingfromhelpinguscombatthe
commoncoldtospeedinghealingaftersurgery.Theresearchisinsynchwithanecdotalreportsofhowpeoplegetsickinstressfultimes,butunderstandingexactlyhowpsychology
affectsbiologyhelpsscientiststorecommendthebestwayswecanbuildupimmunity.

HowWeUsetheResearch
Managingstress,especiallychronicorlongtermstress(evenifit'snotintense),mayhelppeopletofightgerms.Whenburdenedwithlongtermstressors,suchascaringforan
elderlyparentorspousewithdementia,healthcanbenefitfromconscientiousstressmanagement.

KiecoltGlaserandGlaserconfirmedthishopefuloptionbycomparingtheimmunefunctionofexamstressedmedicalstudentsgivenhypnosisandrelaxationtrainingwiththatof
studentswithouttraining.Atfirst,theimmuneresponsesofthetwogroupsappearedtobothgodown.However,closerinspectionrevealedthatsomestudentstookthisexercise
moreseriouslythanothers.Thosewhodidn'ttakerelaxationtrainingseriouslydidn'tfaresowellthosewhopracticedconscientiouslydidactuallyhavesignificantlybetterimmune
functionduringexamsthanstudentswhopracticederraticallyornotatall.

Finally,thenewestfindingsonsocialstressunderscorethevalueofgoodfriendsevenjustafewclosefriendscanhelpsomeonefeelconnectedandstaystrong.Socialtiesmay
indirectlystrengthenimmunitybecausefriendsatleasthealthmindedfriendscanencouragegoodhealthbehaviorssuchaseating,sleepingandexercisingwell.Goodfriends
alsohelptobufferthestressofnegativeevents.

Sources&FurtherReading
Edwards,K.M.,BurnsV.E.,Reynolds,T.,Carroll,D.,Drayson,M.,&Ring,C.(2006).Acutestressexposurepriortoinfluenzavaccinationenhancesantibodyresponseinwomen.
Brain,Behavior,andImmunity,20:15968.

Glaser,R.,Sheridan,J.F.,Malarkey,W.B.,MacCallum,R.C.,&KiecoltGlaser,J.K.(2000).Chronicstressmodulatestheimmuneresponsetoapneumococcalpneumonia
vaccine.PsychosomaticMedicine,62,804807.

Glaser,R.,Robles,T.F.,Malarkey,W.B.,Sheridan,J.F.,&KiecoltGlaser,J.K.(2003).Milddepressivesymptomsareassociatedwithamplifiedandprolongedinflammatory
responsesfollowinginfluenzavaccinationinolderadults.ArchivesofGeneralPsychiatry,60,10091014.

KiecoltGlaser,J.K.,Glaser,R.(1993).Mindandimmunity.In:D.Goleman&J.Gurin,(Eds.)Mind/BodyMedicine(pp.3959).NewYork:ConsumerReports.

KiecoltGlaser,J.K.,&Glaser,R.(2002).Depressionandimmunefunction:Centralpathwaystomorbidityandmortality.JournalofPsychosomaticResearch,53,873876.

KiecoltGlaser,J.K.,McGuire,L.,Robles,T.,&Glaser,R.(2002).Psychoneuroimmunology:Psychologicalinfluencesonimmunefunctionandhealth.JournalofConsultingand
ClinicalPsychology,70,537547.

KiecoltGlaser,J.K.,McGuire,L.,Robles,T.,&Glaser,R.(2002).Psychoneuroimmunologyandpsychosomaticmedicine:Backtothefuture.PsychosomaticMedicine,64,1528.

Pressman,S.D.,Cohen,S.,Miller,G.E.,Barkin,A.,Rabin,B.S.,Treanor,J.J.(2005).Loneliness,SocialNetworkSizeandImmuneResponsetoInfluenzaVaccinationinCollege
Freshmen,HealthPsychology,24,pages.

RobinsonWhelen,S.,Tada,Y.,MacCallum,R.C.,McGuire,L.,&KiecoltGlaser,J.K.(2001).Longtermcaregiving:Whathappenswhenitends?JournalofAbnormalPsychology,
110,573584.

Segerstrom,S.C.andMiller,G.E.(2004).PsychologicalStressandtheHumanImmuneSystem:AMetaAnalyticStudyof30YearsofInquiry.PsychologicalBulletin,Vol.130,No.
4.

AmericanPsychologicalAssociation,February23,2006

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