Psychoneuroimmunology

Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the interaction between the mind, the nervous system, and the immune system. Communication between these systems is complex. Bidirectional neurological pathways exist, however, and psychological phenomena such as stress and depression may impact the immune system. Interventions seeking to reduce potentially negative effects of psychological phenomena on the immune system are at an early point. However, provided that participants were indeed feeling stressed, psychosocial interventions aiming to alleviate stress have been linked to stressor-related immune change. Further research in this area is needed, but psychosocial interventions focusing on diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancer have been at least partly promising. Applied psyuchoneuroimmunology may hence contribute to better immune function and subsequently to better health.