Bereavement, depression, and immune function

Zisook, Sidney; Shuchter, Stephen R.; Irwin, Michael R.; Darko, Denis F.; Sledge, Paul; Resovsky, Kathy

doi:10.1016/0165-1781(94)90114-7

Cited by 85 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Bereavement has been associated with in vitro functional immune measures such as decreased natural killer cell cytotoxicity and poorer lymphocyte proliferation to mitogen (Bartrop et al, 1977;Goodkin et al, 1996;Irwin et al, 1987;Kemeny et al, 1995;Schleifer et al, 1983;Zisook et al, 1994). The present findings regarding marital status and satisfaction also extend the results of previous studies showing that poorer marital quality, in terms of adjustment and negative marital interactions, are associated with inferior functional immunity evidenced through reduced proliferation to some mitogens, poorer latent virus control (Kiecolt- Glaser et al, 1987;Kiecolt-Glaser et al, 1997;Kiecolt-Glaser et al, 1988;Kiecolt-Glaser et al, 1993), and weaker natural killer cell cytotoxicity (Miller et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bereavement and marriage are associated with antibody response to influenza vaccination in the elderly

Phillips

Carroll

Burns

et al. 2006

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

101

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Stressful life events exposure including bereavement, an event commonly experienced by elderly people, social support, marital status and satisfaction were examined in relation to antibody response to the annual trivalent influenza vaccination in an elderly community sample (N = 184). Antibody response was assessed at baseline, and at one and 12 months following vaccination. Taking into account baseline antibody titer, overall life events exposure and social support were not associated with response to any of the influenza strains.However, bereavement in the year prior to vaccination was negatively associated with the one-month response to the A/Panama and B/Shangdong strains. Being married and having higher marital satisfaction was also associated with higher peak responses to the A/Panama influenza strain at one month. The positive association between marital satisfaction and A/Panama response was particularly evident in the younger half of the married sample. These associations largely withstood adjustment for potential confounders. Thus, in the elderly, peak antibody response was associated with bereavement and marriage, and not the more general factors, life events and social support, related to antibody response in student samples.This suggests the importance of taking a life course approach to examining relationships between psychosocial factors and immunity, and that interventions to modify the impact of these factors should address those most salient for each age group.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bereavement and marriage are associated with antibody response to influenza vaccination in the elderly

Phillips

Carroll

Burns

et al. 2006

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

101

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“…We thank Edith Chen for her helpful comments on an earlier version of the article and Jennifer Snedeker for assistance with manuscript preparation. Lowe et al, 2000Zisook et al, 1994Martin & Dobbin 1988Endresen et al, 1991Maes et al, 1997McClelland et al, 1980Marchesi et al, 1989McDade et al, 2000Gerits & DeBrabander, 1999Marshall et al, 1998McIntosh et al, 1993Gerritsen et al, 1996Marucha et al, 1998 McNaughton et al,…”

Section: Acknowledgementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry.

Segerstrom

Miller

2004

Psychological Bulletin

2,658

1,845

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The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors.Since the dawn of time, organisms have been subject to evolutionary pressure from the environment. The ability to respond to environmental threats or stressors such as predation or natural disaster enhanced survival and therefore reproductive capacity, and physiological responses that supported such responses could be selected for. In mammals, these responses include changes that increase the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the heart and the large skeletal muscles. The result is physiological support for adaptive behaviors such as "fight or flight." Immune responses to stressful situations may be part of these adaptive responses because, in addition to the risk inherent in the situation (e.g., a predator), fighting and fleeing carries the risk of injury and subsequent entry of infectious agents into the bloodstream or skin. Any wound in the skin is likely to contain pathogens that could multiply and cause infection (Williams & Leaper, 1998). Stress-induced changes in the immune system that could accelerate wound repair and help prevent infections from taking hold would therefore be adaptive and selected along with other physiological changes that increased evolutionary fitness.Modern humans rarely encounter many of the stimuli that commonly evoked fight-or-flight responses for their ancestors, such as predation or inclement weather without protection. However, human physiological response continues to reflect the demands of earlier environments. Threats that do not require a physical response (e.g., academic exams) may therefore have physical consequences, including changes in the immune system. Indeed, over the past 30 years, more than 300 studies have been done on stress and immunity in humans, and together they have shown that psychological challenges are capable of modifying various features of the immune response. In this article we attempt to consolidate empirical knowledge about psychological stress and the human immune system through meta-analysis. Both the construct of stress and the human immune system are complex, and both could consume bookCorrespondence concerning this article should be addressed to Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Department of Ps...

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“…An extensive body of literature on bereavement and bereavement counseling has been produced in the last four decades in Western countries. For example, there is ample evidence to indicate the negative effects of bereavement on psychiatric and physical morbidity, 1 and an increased risk and severity of depressive symptoms, [2][3][4] anxiety, 5 poor physical health, 6,7 immunological dysfunction, 8,9 increased adrenocortical activity, 10 and increased mortality. 11 Since the early works of Freud 12 and Lindemann, 13 a considerable number of conceptual and empirical studies on grief have been performed.…”

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confidence: 99%