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Stress and infectious disease in humans
1Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.
Psychological Bulletin
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Stress significantly increases illness behaviors and may also worsen infectious disease pathology. Individuals with poor social skills may face higher risks for both stress-related illness and infection.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Stress is a known factor influencing health outcomes.
- The relationship between psychological stress and infectious disease requires further elucidation.
- Individual differences in social skills may modulate disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on the association between stress and infectious disease.
- To examine how stress impacts illness behaviors versus verified pathology.
- To propose models explaining the stress-infection link.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies measuring stress and infectious disease outcomes.
- Analysis of evidence for stress association with illness behaviors (symptoms, healthcare use).
- Analysis of evidence for stress association with infectious pathology.
Main Results:
- Substantial evidence links stress to increased illness behaviors.
- Provocative, though less convincing, evidence suggests stress is associated with infectious pathology.
- Introversion, social isolation, and deficits in social skills may increase risk for both illness behaviors and pathology.
Conclusions:
- Stress plays a significant role in the manifestation of infectious disease, particularly in illness behaviors.
- Psychobiological and psychological models are proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying the stress-infection relationship.
- Identifying individuals at risk due to social factors is crucial for understanding disease susceptibility.