The relationship between stress and illness

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The relationship between stress and illness
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Stress and Illness

• Selyes work led to the development of
  psychoimmunology.
• This is the study of the relationship between
  psychological factors and the functioning and
  efficiency of the immune system.

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Stress and Illness

• Stress also seems to be linked to physical
  illness including cardiovascular disorders.

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Stress and Illness

• Stress is linked to headaches infectious
  illness (e.g. flu) cardiovascular disease
  diabetes, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

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Stress and Illness

• High stressed individuals are more than twice as
  likely to catch a common cold as low stressed
  individuals.

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Stress and Illness

• Hypertension (consistently raised blood pressure
  over several weeks) is a major risk factor in
  coronary heart disease (CHD)

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Stress and Illness

• CHD be caused by psycho-social factors such as
  stress, anger and hostility (as well as other
  factors such as salt, obesity, coffee, lack of
  exercise and alcohol).

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Stress and Illness
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Stress and Illness

• Cobb and Rose (1973) found that hypertension
  rates were several times higher in air traffic
  controllers and greatest in those working in
  airports with the highest traffic density.

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Stress and Illness

• Friedman and Rosenman (1959) found that
  individuals who cope least well with stress are
  much more likely to experience CHD than other
  personality types.

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Stress and Illness

• Jemmont et al. (1985), found that students during
  examination periods had lower counts of
  antibodies concerned with fighting colds and flu

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Stress and Illness

• Brady (1958) reported that in stressed
  individuals, the high levels of adrenaline can
  lead to stomach ulcers

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Stress and Illness

• Schliefer et al (1979), examined a sample of
  widowers whose spouses had died of cancer and
  found that they had less efficient immune systems

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Homework

• Make a set of notes on The immune system and
  stress p 61 of text.
• (a) Explain what psychologists mean by the term
  stress 3 marks
• (b) Describe Selyes General Adaptation Syndrome
  6 marks
• (c) What has psycholgical research told us about
  the relationship between stress and physical
  illness? 18 marks