the role of stress in illness

Question 1

what is immunosuppression?

Answer 1

-stress can suppress the immune system directly

Question 2

give an example of how stress can suppress the immune system?

Answer 2

-cortisol is produced by the HPA stress response which inhibits the production of lymphocytes and has an effect on immune functioning

Question 3

what are the effects of immunosuppression?

Answer 3

-development of some cancers

Question 4

what can stress cause?

Answer 4

• immunosuppression

- cardiovascular disorders (heart disease)

Question 5

explain the effect of stress on cardiovascular disorders?

Answer 5

• can have direct and indirect effects

- increase the risk of heart disease in someone who already has CVD’s

Question 6

explain the procedure done into acute stress + finding?

Answer 6

• Lampen did study into incidences of heart attacks during football games during 1996 Germany world cup
• FINDINGS: when Germany played cardiac emergencies increased by 3 times compared to control period

Question 7

explain + give an example of an acute stressor?

Answer 7

• sudden emotional arousal

- football matches

Question 8

explain + give an example of a chronic stressor?

Answer 8

• a longterm stressor

- eg. work place

Question 9

evaluate a positive of stress in illness?

Answer 9

• can have immunoenhancing effects
• study exposed rats to mild stressors and found that it stimulated an immune response- lymphocytes flooded into blood to prepare for physical damage
• found that acute stressors give short term protection to body unlike chronic which has immunosuppressive effects

Question 10

evaluate a negative of stress in illness +chronic stress?

Answer 10

-certain cancers believed to be caused due to immunosuppression
-study involving women who were HIV+
found that women who were stressed were more likely in one year to develop pre-cancerous lesions than those who reported being less stressed
-shows a possible direct consequence
-HOWEVER… study conducted on abnormal group, lacks population validity, cant be generalised

Question 11

evaluate stress as an indirect factor of stress in illness?

Answer 11

WEAKNESS

• ev for stress being an indirect factor in CVD’s
• stress increases a persons vulnerability to to developing CVD’s not direct cause of Hattack
• research has shown that women who have CVD’s + marital conflict are 3x more likely to have HAttack