[Effects of occupational stress and job insecurity on the immune response]

The immune system responds to environmental signals. High blood NK activity characterizes individuals with a good life style and mental health condition or those exerting physical activity. Mental instability, depression and a poor life style exert opposite effects. A poor work environment with low social support or repetitive and shift work, as well as unemployment, are shown to affect the immune response, inducing autoimmune disorders or reducing NK cell activity. We studied anxiety, job strain and insecurity and the NK cell activity of 118 men and 68 women working in a university. A group of older male employees with high job strain and anxiety showed lower NK cell activity. Young male employees with temporary jobs showed reduced NK cell activity, while male doctors in training in Dental School underwent increased job strain, but anxiety, job insecurity and immune response were within a normal range. Analysis of all the data of the men showed that anxiety and job insecurity (more than occupational stress) reduce NK cell activity, thus affecting the health status. On the other hand, the results of this study on women may not exclude that nurses working in hospital in a stressful work environment may show reduced immune response.