Abstract
Worry is a cognitive activity in which potential problems are anticipated and enumerated in an attempt to control the future. Worry has been associated with dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, which may extend to the immune system. The relationship between trait worry and immune parameters was investigated at three follow-up points after the Northridge earthquake in a sample of 47 hospital employees. Participants with scores above the median on a trait worry measure had fewer natural killer cells than participants with worry scores below the median and controls. This effect was not mediated by intrusive thoughts, avoidance, anxious mood, or health behavior. These results suggest that worry may have a detrimental effect on the regulation of natural killer cells during stress. This effect may be due to differences in autonomic responsiveness associated with worry.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 433-450 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Journal of Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1998 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH15750 and MH00820) and the UCLA Norman Cousins Task Foce rinPychsneuoroimmunolo. WgetayhknPet erGrohr and Lieu Dang for assistance in data collection. Thanks are due to the staff of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunology and Disease at UCLA, including Susan Plaeger, Daisy Wag, nJohThnomas, and Susan Stehn.
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Immune
- Natural disaster
- Stress
- Worry
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
