Stress, Depression And Immune Response
The field of PNI is not without controversy. One of the debatable topics is the causal relationship between stress, depression and immune response. Depression has been implicated in causing behavioral changes in people with major depressive disorder. Some of these lifestyle changes can be profound, such as, not eating, drug abuse, or disturbed sleep patterns. Some argue that it really is these "lifestyles" which is the culprit in reduced immune functioning. Having bad nutritional habits could starve the body of necessary nutrients to maintain high levels of white blood cells. As a result, the immune system downgrades its functioning and the person becomes more prone to diseases or inflammatory.
In a study done with depressed women and physical
activity, 42 to 63 percent of the differences in immune functioning were observed to be related to physical activity. The study observed 32 depressed women and 32 non-depressed women. The production of lymphocytes was measured to determine the immune system's functioning (Hendersen, 1999).
Patients with cancer can have significant lifestyle changes as a result of their condition. They will have poor eating habits because of nauseating feelings which were not directly related to their treatments or conditions. They have disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia or waking up early. They also frequently develop drug problems. All of these factors seem to add additional stresses which impact the physiological effects. Targeting these stresses has had positive results on the health of individuals. Again, a study done with physical activity not only helped eliminate the bad physical habits, but it also decreased the depression and gave the clients a positive outlook (Anderson, Glaser, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 1994).
On top of lifestyle changes, a person's response to a known acquired disease, or even having symptoms of a disease could be another factor. A person under heavy stress or extreme depression may forgo seeking treatments for physical illness, thus increasing the likelihood of an escalation in the physical problem.
In a study done with depressed women and physical
activity, 42 to 63 percent of the differences in immune functioning were observed to be related to physical activity. The study observed 32 depressed women and 32 non-depressed women. The production of lymphocytes was measured to determine the immune system's functioning (Hendersen, 1999).
Patients with cancer can have significant lifestyle changes as a result of their condition. They will have poor eating habits because of nauseating feelings which were not directly related to their treatments or conditions. They have disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia or waking up early. They also frequently develop drug problems. All of these factors seem to add additional stresses which impact the physiological effects. Targeting these stresses has had positive results on the health of individuals. Again, a study done with physical activity not only helped eliminate the bad physical habits, but it also decreased the depression and gave the clients a positive outlook (Anderson, Glaser, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 1994).
On top of lifestyle changes, a person's response to a known acquired disease, or even having symptoms of a disease could be another factor. A person under heavy stress or extreme depression may forgo seeking treatments for physical illness, thus increasing the likelihood of an escalation in the physical problem.