Stress-related illness and the immune system
- Created by: z_mills1
- Created on: 15-05-14 09:34
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- Stress-related illness and the immune system
- Kiecolt-Glaser
- matched participants design, recruited by advert in newspaper (voluntary)
- 13 women aged 47-81yrs (experimental group), 13 matched carers (control group)
- pp's given a 'punch-biopsy' (cut of 3.5mm just below elbow), wounds were dressed and treated by nurse
- researchers also assessed levels of cytokines
- pp's given a 10-item perceived stress scale to check how stressed they were
- complete wound-healing took an avg. of 9 days longer in carers than control group
- cytokine levels were lower in carers than control group
- carers indicated (on scale) that they were feeling more stressed
- Evaluation
- + supports the view that chronic stress depresses the functioning of the immune system
- - only women aged 47-81yrs used, not representative of whole population
- - high ethical issues (protection from harm)
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