Transcript Stress and Illness

Stress
Maladaptive coping
behaviour e.g. smoking,
drinking alcohol
Emotionally mediated
effects on diet and
activity level
Increased Risk of Disease
Direct biological effects
e.g. physical strain,
hormonal changes
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Stress and Illness
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Bacteria
Viruses
Also helps prevent
the formation and
growth of tumours
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T-Lymphocyte
Structures and
mechanisms that
allow the body to
resist and fight off
infection by:
Phagocyte
The Immune System
Stress & Immune Function
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Diversion of energy resources away from
maintaining immunity
Impact of stress hormones on immune
processes
Maladaptive coping behaviours
Evidence that all three play a part
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Stress may adversely affect immune
functioning through:
Onset
Merson (2001)
Moderately prolonged
Duration of Stressor
Chronic
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Immune Functioning
100%
Stress & Immune Function
Stress & Immune Function
Cohen & Herbert (1996)
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Stress associated with increased susceptibility to
cold, flu, herpes virus, chickenpox
Bartrop et al (1977)
Immune suppression followed loss of intimate
relationship through death or divorce
Levy et al (1989)
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PPs who scored high on a scale of daily hassles had
lower natural killer (immune) cell activity
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Stress & Immune Function
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Personality & coping style
Social support
Lifestyle
Compared to impact of e.g. age, genes,
nutrition stress is relatively unimportant
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Evidence supports a weak link between
stress and immune functioning
The relationship is mediated by: