TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychological stress and the human immune system
T2 - A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry
AU - Segerstrom, Suzanne C.
AU - Miller, Gregory E.
PY - 2004/7
Y1 - 2004/7
N2 - The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors.
AB - The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors.
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U2 - 10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601
DO - 10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601
M3 - Article
C2 - 15250815
AN - SCOPUS:3042776968
SN - 0033-2909
VL - 130
SP - 601
EP - 630
JO - Psychological Bulletin
JF - Psychological Bulletin
IS - 4
ER -
