Mechanistic Aspects of Stressor-Induced Immune Alteration

Health benefits: Meta-analytically determining the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes

“…For healthy individuals, bodily systems naturally fluctuate with transient stress; thus, seemingly abnormal levels of one marker may actually be a normal response to fluctuations in another system (Rabin et al, 1994). In contrast, for unhealthy individuals, the system as a whole is dysregulated, and abnormal values indicate further stress on the system, adding…”

“…Furthermore, we predicted that well-being would affect short-term outcomes more than long-term outcomes. When stress occurs, the autonomic nervous system is immediately activated; if well-being interrupts this response (either through buffering stress or engendering a more rapid recovery), then its effects will be evident fairly quickly (Rabin et al, 1994). For long-term outcomes, a vast array of variables can moderate and intercede in this relation (Hall, Anderson, & O'Grady, 1994), ranging from psychosocial factors, such as social support, health habits, and natural physiological changes that occur with age, to measurement unreliability; hence, any effects on long-term outcomes will be weaker, although still significant in a practical sense (Rosenthal, 1991;Smith, 2006).…”

“…If stress and negative emotions potentially foster detrimental health outcomes, can positive emotions and moods foster improved health? That is, whereas stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, an opposite trigger may decrease sympathetic system activity (Rabin et al, 1994), and promote optimal functioning. Empirical support for this notion is evident in personality research, which has demonstrated that negative traits, such as neuroticism and hostility, relate to increased mortality risk and poor health outcomes (e.g., Smith, 2006;Smith, Glazer, Ruiz, & Gallo, 2004;Smith & Williams, 1992;Suls & Bunde, 2005;Watson & Pennebaker, 1989), whereas positive traits, such as optimism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, relate to decreased mortality risk and better health (Friedman et al, 1993;Hampson, Goldberg, Vogt, & Dubanoski, 2006).…”

“…For example, if well-being is indeed beneficial, then it should benefit health across systems and levels, regardless of the specific mechanisms and pathways involved (Rabin, Kusnecov, Shurin, Zhou, & Rasnick, 1994). Thus, the present meta-analysis empirically examines the potential benefits of well-being across multiple markers of normal functioning, including (a) specific, short-term outcomes, (b) general, long-term markers of physical well-being and functioning, and (c) symptom control during stages of chronic conditions.…”

Pathways Linking Major Depression and Immunity in Ambulatory Female Patients

“…Clinical depression can be accompanied by dysregulation of the HP A axis, the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (18,19). Receptors for the hormonal products of these systems have been id~ntified on lymphocytes, and ligation of those receptors induces changes in lymphocyte function (20)(21)(22). An alternative hypothesis is that health practices are responsible for immunologic differences.…”