Stress: Immune system

Acute Stressors:

Kiecolt-Glaser:

Natural study

studied if short term stressors had an effect on immune system

med students before an exam

blood samples taken 1 month before and during exam period

immune functioning measured by amount of natural killer cells present

NK cell count much lower in 2nd blood sample

suggests short term stressors reduce immune functioning, increase risk of illness

Marucha:

performed punch biopsy on students in summer holidays and 3 days before exams

wounds given before exam took 40% longer to heal than those in the holidays.

Chronic stressor:

kiercolt-Glaser:

tested impact of interpersonalconflict on wound healing

Blister wounds healed slower after having conflicting conversations

kIERCOLT-glaser

studied immune systems of recently seperated women and married women

found recently seperated women to have a poorer…