Psychosocial influences on human immunity

In recent years the relationship between stress and illness has received support from studies of psychosocial influences on immunity. Initial findings from human studies indicate that decreases in measures of immune status accompany a variety of stressful life events. Research also demonstrates how emotional distress, individual differences, and social support may mediate the impact of stress on the immune system. Although statistically significant findings have been widely reported, a predominance of retrospective and cross-sectional research has produced little evidence that psychoimmunological changes are clinically significant. Future studies involving longitudinal designs and multimodal assessment can contribute greatly to a deeper understanding of the processes involved. Psychologists, especially well-qualified to measure psychosocial factors of immunomodulating potential, can have valuable roles within the expanding interdisciplinary field of psychoimmunology.