The Role Of Stress In Illness Flashcards
What factors play a role in stress-related illness?
-Immunosuppression.
-Cardiovascular disorders.
What is immunosuppression?
The impaired ability of the immune system to fight antigens & diseases.
What is a cardiovascular disorder?
The dysfunctionality of the heart and blood vessels.
How may cortisol:
-be effective?
-harm?
-occasional production.
-sustained production.
How does sustained production of cortisol harm?
Reduces the production of lymphocytes that fight antigens, leaving one vulnerable to infections.
Stress is linked to…
… cardiovascular disorders (e.g. high blood pressure).
Does stress directly cause infections?
No, it only increases the body’s vulnerability to infections.
What are the two types of lymphocytes?
-B cells: produces antibodies which are released into the fluid surrounding the body’s cells, destroying the invading viruses and bacteria.
-T cells: if the invader gets inside a cell, they lock onto the infected cell, multiply, and destroy it.
How did Keicolt-Glaser (1984) study immunosuppression?
Studied the response of the immune system to stress with exams.
He took blood samples from 75 first year medical student volunteers one month before exams (baseline sample) and on the first day of exams (stress sample).
The amount of T cell activity declined between the two samples, suggesting a negative correlation between stress and the immune response.
Evaluation points of Keicolt-Glaser (1984):
-This research is correlational, so cause and effect cannot be established.
-Immune functioning is also affected by psychological variables (e.g. life events, loneliness).
-It was a natural experiment using a natural form of stress, so there is reasonable ecological validity, but population validity is low.
How did Cohen (1993) study immunosuppression?
394 participants completed questionnaires on stressful life events, degree of stress, and negative emotions.
The participants were then exposed to the virus, with 82% becoming infected.
The findings were that the chance of developing the common cold was positively correlated to stress index scores.
Evaluation points of Cohen (1993):
-There were no direct measures of immune function, making it an indirect study.
-It measures health outcomes, showing a relationship between life stress and illness.
-No manipulation of the IV (stress index), so cause and effect can’t be established.
How can chronic stress negatively impact cardiovascular disorders?
- Blood vessels are damaged, as the blood is being pumped faster and at a higher pressure.
- Arteries become hardened or narrowed.
- Hardened or narrowed arteries may be unable to supply the amount of blood the body’s organs need.
- Risk of heart attack or stroke.
How did Williams (2000) study cardiovascular disorders?
Studied if anger was linked to heart disease by giving a 10 question anger scale to 13,000 participants.
They checked the health status of the participants 6 years later: 256 developed heart attacks.
Those with high scores were 2.5x more likely to have a heart attack than those with low scores.
This suggests a correlation between anger and cardiovascular disorders.
Evaluation points of Williams (2000):
-There is only a correlation, so no cause and effect can be established. Diet, smoking and genetics can also contribute to cardiovascular disorders.
-Personality plays a role in stress responses.
