...relationship between the immune system and stress-related illness (12) AO1 - COHEN ET AL investigated the role of general life stress on vulnerability to the common cold virus. 394 participants completed questionnaires on the number of stressful life events experience in the previous year. They also rated their degree of stress and level of negative emotions such as depression. The 3 scores were combined into a stress index. Ps were then exposed to the common cold virus which lead to 82% becoming infected. After 7 days, the number whose infection developed into a clinical cold was recorded. They found the chance of developing the cold i.e. failing to fight off the viral infection was significantly correlated with stress index scores. AO2 – however this was an indirect study as there were no direct measures of immune function. Nevertheless the results have been supported by Evans & Edgington who found the probability of developing the cold was significantly correlated with negative life events in the preceding days. The study did measure health outcomes (development of clinical colds) showing a relationship between life stress and illness. However, there was no direct manipulation of the independent variable (stress index) therefore a cause and effect relationship cannot be confirmed – only correlational data. Finally, the study doesn’t tell us which of the 3 elements of the stress index is most important and/or if all 3 really contribute to vulnerability to illness. AO1 – Kiecolt...
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...into the relationship between the immune system and Stress-related illness. (12marks) It is suggested that stress can result in immunosuppression which can lead to stress-related illnesses such as Coronary Heart Disease and high blood pressure. Kiecolt and Glaser conducted an experiment to see the effects of stress on the immune system. This was achieved by taking blood samples of 75 medical students one month before and during their examination period. They then compared the two blood samples and found decreased leucocyte activity in the sample taken during high levels of stress (during their exams). This shows that stress reduces the activity of the immune system, making them more susceptible to becoming ill. Advantages of the study are that blood tests are objective measurements, so there was no social desirability or experimenter bias when analysing the results. The participants were also compared to themselves which removes participant variables on how they perceive stressors. The experiment was a field experiment so there was no manipulating of the independant variable to deliberately cause stress to the participants which makes it ethical. It also means the research has ecological validity and can be applied to the wider world. However, a field experiment may have extraneous variables which impact the results. For example, the student lifestyle of having little sleep and poor accomidation may have been an alternative source of stress. Another disadvantage is that there...
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...There has been a lot of research that suggests that the immune system can be severely affected by stress. Kiecolt-Glaser did an experiment to evaluate the effect of acute stressors on the immune system. She had a group of students who were about to have their medical exams. She took the blood sample one month before the exams and another during the exam period. She measured the NK cell activity to see how the immune system was effected and found that the NK cell activity had dropped significantly in the second blood sample that had been taken shows that stress had caused to lower the efficiency of the immune system and made the students were vulnerable to stress-related illnesses. Also Marucha et al. conducted a study involving a group of students. Marucha inflicted a punch-biopsy 3 days before an exam and found that the wound took 40% longer to heal when the wound was inflicted during the exam period. Also if a acute stressors could have such a negative impact on the immune system on chronic stressors where also suspected to have a similar effect. Kiecolt-Glaser conducted a study where a group of married couples were asked to have discussions about their marriage and also of the couples had blisters on their arms. It was found that the groups of couples that had very supportive discussions showed the wound healing process to be much faster in comparison to the people who had an argumentative discussion. Also another researcher observed 90 newly wedded couples for a 24 hours...
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...Outline and evaluate research into the relationship between the immune system and stress related illness (12 marks) Taylor McAndrew AO1 Cohen et al (1993) investigated the role of general life stress on vulnerability to the common cold virus. He found that the chance of developing a cold, i.e. failing to fight off the infection, was significantly correlated with stress index scores. Cohen et al. concluded that life stress and negative emotions reduce the effectiveness of our immune system, leaving participants less able to resist viral infection. A02 Support for research into the relationship between the immune system and stress related illness came from studies such as Evans and Edgington (1991) who found that the probability of developing a cold was significantly correlated with negative events in the proceeding days. Research findings from Cohen et al. and Kiecolt-Glaser et al. both demonstrated that life stress could reduce or impair immune function eventhough they used didfferent methods. This would indicate that stress does have a negative effect on the immune system. However other research evidence indicates that stress does not always have a negative effect on the immune system. In a major meta-review by Segerstrom and Miller (2004), they concluded that acute short-lasting stressors lead to an unregulation of natural immunity which indicates that short-lasting stressors is beneficial to the immune function which does not support Cohen et al. and Kiecolt-Glasers...
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...Research that has suggested a link between stress and ill health. Looking at the link between stress and illness, there have been many studies done to show the direct effect stress has in relation to illness, the main three pathways looked at are the direct effect, stress interacting with pre-existing vulnerabilities and how stress leads to behavioural changes that are not beneficial to one’s health. However it is hard for researchers to establish a definite cause and effect relationship between stress and specific physical symptoms or illnesses. Not only do people's minds and bodies react differently to stress, but there also are other factors at work when someone falls ill. Most researchers have found the more a person suffers from stress the weaker his or hers immune system becomes. In trying to understand why stress can be bad for the body is to look at it from an evolutionary perspective, where in the past our ancestors were often confronted with life threatening situations and as a result the ‘fight or flight’ response evolved. Whilst being confronted by dangerous situations such as confrontation with a predator it was necessary to send blood to the muscles and be in a heightened state of arousal, however today it might not be relevant to most everyday stressors. So we can say most stressors do not pose a physical danger to us yet the way our nervous and endocrine systems have evolved we react to the stressors as if they did, whilst it might have been an adaptive response...
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...Abstract This research looks at the relationship between physical illness and stress. The goal is the show that there is in fact a direct link between stress and physical diseases. This has been done through studies involving rats, monkeys, and even parents of children with cancer. Upon examination of these studies, it becomes apparent that even though differences in characteristics between individuals cause much variability in the link between illness stress, there still proves to be a strong correlation through changes in physiological and behavorial responses to stress which influence susceptibility to disease. Introduction Almost everybody faces some form or variation of stress over their lifetime. Stress is defined as “a state of psychological tension or strain” (Morris, C., & Maisto, A. 2008) resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. The cause of stress can vary; whether it be from pressures at work or school, commitments to family life and friends, or maybe even financial difficulties. Anytime a person is met with a stressor, any environmental demand that may create stress, rapid changes are sent forward throughout the body. Almost every system in the body is preparing itself to encounter any danger that may be perceived. (Human Diseases and Conditions. n.d.) There are many instances where these stress responses in short-term bursts, or acute stress, can actually be beneficial to a person. Examples include the adrenaline rush one may get when confronted...
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...Stress (psychology), an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. The word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure, or negative emotions such as anxiety and anger. Others view stress as the response to these situations. This response includes physiological changes-such as increased heart rate and muscle tension-as well as emotional and behavioral changes. However, most psychologists regard stress as a process involving a person's interpretation and response to a threatening event. Stress is a common thing we all experience. We may feel stress when we are very busy, have important deadlines to meet, or have too little time to finish all of our tasks. Often people experience stress because of problems at work or in social relationships, such as a poor evaluation by a supervisor or an argument with a friend. Some people may be particularly vulnerable to stress in situations involving the threat of failure or personal humiliation. Others have extreme fears of objects or things associated with physical threats-such as snakes, illness, storms, or flying in an airplane-and become stressed when they encounter or think about these perceived threats. Major life events, such as the death of a loved one, can cause severe stress. Stress can have both positive and negative...
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...Negative stress has an affect on health physically, mentally, and chemically in my opinion. The reason why stress can cause illness because stressful people might stay up late at night and not get enough sleep, eat more food that would cause obesity, a lack of food because of poverty that would weaken the immune system, and there are so many other examples of negative circumstances that stress can cause. There are a multitude of evidence that researches have found to back up my statement. First off we have to find out what stresses in life causes illness. The stress like a person dropping there lunch, misplacing small amount of money, forgetting to call someone, breaking DVD set that you just bought, etc are not enough stress to cause ill health. The stress that I'm talking about that causes health problems are called stressors. Stressors are uncontrollable, chronic or is stress lasting six months or more. Here are the major stressors that causes health problems over time if it is not probably dealt with. They are work related problems, noise, bereavement, loss, poverty, powerlessness, and lastly low status. In most cases this type of stress does lead to negative health, but in all cases it does not, it all depends on the individual, what age the person was expose to it, and the suddenness of it. Since it can cause health problems or it can not there are three variables that will tell if stress will affect an individual. The three factors are the individual physiological differences...
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...Trudy A. Linden-Craft PSY/210 Psychology and Health Problems Every individual, at one time or another will experience some level of stress in his or her daily lives. “The likelihood of contracting an illness—be it the flu or cancer— can reflect the interaction of many factors, including genetic factors and lifestyle factors” (Nevid & Rathus, 2005, pg 128). Studies in health psychology have revealed that there is not a distinct straightforward answer to the multitude of questions that arise. When determining how one’s health and susceptibility to stress-related illness is affected, the multifactoral model illustrates a wide range of factors that consist of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors as well as the interactions of each. This paper will discuss potential health problems associated with each factor and how psychology’s role helps to recognize and control these health concerns. Biological factors are one of the apparent roles that help to determine the risk of an individual illness. Because biological factors are linked to an individual’s genetics, these factors are not able to be controlled by individuals. Some of these biological factors include inoculations, age, gender, injuries, birth defects disabilities, and family history disease. Most of these issues are a lifelong factor that begins in an individual’s childhood. Considering an individual’s genetics, one can determine if a person can acquire a behavior trait or become diagnosed...
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...can overcome the stresses we experience every day and live a healthier lifestyle, so that we can give our children an example to follow in order to improve their quality of life. According to our text, the multifactorial model is the belief that health and illnesses are a function of multiple factors involving biology, psychological, and cultural domains, and their interactions (Nevid & Rathus, 2005). The way that the multifactorial model works is by identifying factors that can affect our health and susceptibility to illness so that we can, in turn, control them and prevent them from affecting us further. The multifactorial model breaks the factors into six different categories; these categories are biological, sociocultural, environmental, personality, behavior, and stressors. Biological factors are the most obvious causes of illness. Things such as a family history of illness, exposure to pathogens, gender, age, and the function of the immune system all play a part in a person’s health and well-being. A woman whose mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer has a greater chance of also being diagnosed as opposed to a woman who has no family history of the disease. A person who has been exposed to HIV is at a higher risk for developing AIDS than...
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...into the relationship between the immune system and Stress-related illness. (12marks) It is suggested that stress can result in immunosuppression which can lead to stress-related illnesses such as Coronary Heart Disease and high blood pressure. Kiecolt and Glaser conducted an experiment to see the effects of stress on the immune system. This was achieved by taking blood samples of 75 medical students one month before and during their examination period. They then compared the two blood samples and found decreased leucocyte activity in the sample taken during high levels of stress (during their exams). This shows that stress reduces the activity of the immune system, making them more susceptible to becoming ill. Advantages of the study are that blood tests are objective measurements, so there was no social desirability or experimenter bias when analysing the results. The participants were also compared to themselves which removes participant variables on how they perceive stressors. The experiment was a field experiment so there was no manipulating of the independant variable to deliberately cause stress to the participants which makes it ethical. It also means the research has ecological validity and can be applied to the wider world. However, a field experiment may have extraneous variables which impact the results. For example, the student lifestyle of having little sleep and poor accomidation may have been an alternative source of stress. Another disadvantage is that there...
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...but not limited to, environment, biology, behavior, and stress. The first step is to figure out what is causing the person to be sick before any physical or mental problems can be treated. When a person knows what is causing his or her health problems, they are better prepared to take the steps that are needed to cure or prevent the problem. The physician is more able to treat the patients conditions if they are more aware of all the illnesses causes. This also helps the doctors to treat their patients based on the specifics of their illnesses. The multifactorial module uses sociocultural factors that are connected with health and illness, as reflected in human diversity. These factors include ethnicity, gender, level of education, and socioeconomic status. Psychology also plays a big part in keeping a person healthy by teaching the mind how to deal with stressors that can affect a person’s health. CHD, or Coronary Heart Disease, is one of the major causes of death in the United States. This disease can cause heart attacks and strokes due to stress and unhealthy habits that can be caused by stress such as smoking cigarettes, overeating, or not eating healthy (U.S. Department of Human Services, www.hhs.org). Other elements that can lead to Coronary Heart Disease can be family history but problems associated with this disease can be seriously lowered by eating a healthy diet and exercise which can help to reduce stress due to the frustrations at work and at home (U.S. Department...
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...How Stress Affects Our Health November 25, 2015 How Stress Affects Our Health In life there is not one human being who has not felt the anxiety or heart pounding feeling of being stressed. I believe this is a silent disease that slowly takes over one’s life one way or another. According to Kiev (1974), from a medical standpoint stress is just a nervous tension because life is being lived too quickly; therefore, the energy is being wasted. Stress can wear an individual out and cause heath issues once entering adulthood. Feeling stressed is so common in everyday life that it has become a way of life. When individuals are under stress they tend to panic, not realizing the toll it is taking on their body and mind. Stress starts to affect the body by prolonging the levels of fat, causing the immune system to diminish and leaving the body weak and vulnerable to infections (Reinhold, 1996). There are several types of stresses that can affect you and cause cognitive issues, emotional issues, mental issues, and physical issues. A type of stress that many come across several times in their life is short-term stress. Probably the most common type of stress that there is. This type of stress that last for a small amount of time, hens the name short-term stress. An example of short-term stress is when there is a deadline on an assignment in school or work. It is something that once you have completed and turned in on the deadline all stress is completely gone. Chronic life stress...
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... Stress Kills “The body releases hormones that increase the heart rate; cause rapid, shallow breathing; constrict blood vessels supplying digestive organs; and tighten muscles.” This quote comes from Deborah S. Hatrz-Seeley’s article “Chronic Stress Leads to the Six Leading Causes of Death” That’s right. That quote isn’t the effect of a heart attack or some other drastic health problem, those symptoms are just some of the things that come along with stress in the human body. The effects mentioned in Seeley’s article are after a person experiences something like a moderate car accident or being chased by something that could do harm (Chronic). In a situation like this, the body enters a so called “fight or flight” mode which helps the person get away from the situation safely, but once the danger has depleted the person goes in the “rest and digest” mode. Although this is a good and natural thing for the body to do, for most men today, they skip this mode and the stress from the moderate event becomes turns it into a more serious, chronic stress (Chronic). Also, in Seeley’s article and according to the American Psychological Association, “Chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. And more than 75 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.” These examples are only a touch on how much stress effects peoples health...
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...detected on tests. Various symptoms of infection may appear as well, including fever, rash, fatigue and neurologic symptoms. The asymptomatic period is the third stage of HIV infection in which a person may not show any symptoms nor have a major increase in viral load. This period may last up to ten years or longer, especially with medical treatment. HIV-positive patients in the asymptomatic period are still not considered to have AIDS. Symptomatic Stages, Once the asymptomatic period ends, an HIV-positive individual will pass through early-stage and mid-stage symptomatic periods. Early-stage symptoms will include rashes, fatigue, weight loss, and other relatively common symptoms of disease. As the infection compromises more of the immune system, mid-stage symptoms such as significant weight loss, persistent cold sores, oral thrush and diarrhea will become much more common. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection and is characterized by a CD4 or t-cell count of less than 200 and/or certain opportunistic infections. AIDS is considered to be a separate condition from...
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