Depression and
Anger Affect the Immune System
For older men, feelings
of depression may weaken the immune system, new research suggests.
And anger seems to have a similar effect in both men and women
caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease.
People have traditionally
looked at depression and stress with a one-size-fits-all mentality.
This view suggests that all stressors will apply equally to all
people. But there are certain groups, such as older men and caregivers,
who are more vulnerable to stress and depression.
The researchers studied
the relationship between anger, depressed feelings and the immune
system in 82 elderly individuals who cared for a spouse with Alzheimer's
disease. Caregivers were compared with a "control" group
of 83 married noncaregivers who were matched for age and sex.
At the start of the
study and 18 months later, the investigators evaluated the participants'
physical and psychological health, as well as their physical activity.
Investigators also measured how vigorously participants' immune
systems responded to substances that trigger the activation of
cells called lymphocytes.
In men, feelings of
depression were linked to a diminished immune response. Most of
the depressed feelings of men in the study arose not from actual
clinical depression but from feelings of loneliness, the report
indicates. Older men may be more reluctant to talk about their
problems and tend to have fewer friends than older women.
Caregiving is not a
traditional male role, which may affect how men cope with this
responsibility. Some research has suggested that men's bodies
are better equipped for dealing with short-term challenges than
long-term challenges.
Men typically experience
bursts of stress hormones when faced with a challenge, but this
type of response may not be effective for dealing with chronic
sources of stress, such as caregiving.
Although the relationship
between depressed mood and immunity differed by gender, higher
levels of anger were linked to reduced immune function at the
end of the study in both male and female caregivers.
The combination of
anger and chronic stress can result in reduced immune function.
Journal of Behavioral
Medicine 2001;24:537-555
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