Stress and the Immune System: Caretakers at Risk

Researchers Jan and Ron Glaser planned a detailed study to examine the effects of stress on health. Research participants were people under continuous levels of high stress, such as those who care for family members with Alzheimer's. Such caregivers often describe their experience as a “living bereavement.” They see pieces of the one they love disappear over time. The Glasers found that psychological stress had lowered Franklin's immune response. This finding is consistent with other studies of animals and humans, which have found that stress impacts aspects of the immune response. The unanswered question is whether these changes are large enough to have an effect on one's physical health. The Glasers sought to determine whether the impact of stress on immune functioning would affect the body's ability to heal itself. Small identical wounds were made on the arms of all of the volunteers. Results indicated that it took longer for the wounds of those experiencing high stress to heal. The study provides evidence that stress can inhibit our immune systemís response to the point of undermining our health.