Stress-Related Illness; The Immune System

RESEARCH INTO STRESS AND IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION

• Most studies focus on acute stress and have found a decrease in immune cell functionin.
• Other studies have found an increase. 
• Psychologist found no decrease in overall immune system activity and higher lymphocyte counts in Apollo astronauts during the stress splashdown.
• Other research focuses on the effects of chronic stressors; effect of unemployment among unemployed women in Sweden.... decreased lymphocyte response to antigens after nine months of unemployed women.
• Short-Term Stressors: Examination Stress
• Kiecolt-Glaser carried out natural experiment to investigate whether short-term stressors had an effect of immune system in medical system.
• What Did They Do?
• Blood samples were taken one month before and during the exam period. Immune system functioning was assessed by measuting NK cell activity in the blood samples. 
• Participants also filled out a questionnaire to note other life-stressors they were experiencing
• What Did They Find? 
• NK cell activity significantly reduced in the second blood sample opposed to the sample taken previously.
• Short-term stressors reduce immune system functioning... increasing vulnerability to illness.
• Wound Healing
• Exam-related immune changes have a dramatic effect on the rate that wounds heal at. 
• 'punch biopsy' in the mouth of students either during summer holidays or three days before an exam.
• The wounds given before the…