The psychology of wound healing

Research into the effects of psychological factors on wound healing represents an ideal research model for psychoneuroimmunology, as both the impact on clinically relevant health outcomes and the underlying biological mechanisms can be examined. Mounting interest in this topic from biological scientists, psychologists, and medical specialists has resulted in new findings that are discussed in this review.

Known psychological influences on wound healing include stress as well as coping styles, positive affect, environmental enrichment, and social support. Research has highlighted the roles of oxytocin, vasopressin, epinephrine, cortisol, and leukocyte redistribution in wound healing. Clinical significance has been demonstrated by a growing number of studies in patient populations. Furthermore, pragmatic interventions with clinical samples have demonstrated clear benefits of psychological interventions on wound healing.

Recent studies add to growing evidence that psychology impacts wound repair, and highlight in particular the positive role of social support on modulating the negative effects of stress. The first few studies to demonstrate that psychological interventions can improve healing in clinical populations are exciting developments. New knowledge of psychobiological mechanisms provides opportunities to develop further interventions to improve health outcomes.