The psychoneuroimmunology of chronic disease : exploring the links between inflammation, stress, and illness

Summary: "Why are depressed people more likely to suffer heart attacks? Why do people with hostile worldviews have higher rates of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes? Recent years have witnessed considerable growth in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, which describes how psychological factors, such as stress and depression, impact the neurological and immune systems. Research increasingly indicates that psychological states play a key role in the development and exacerbation of inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and autoimmune disorders. In this book, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett and an elite group of researchers explore the ways physical and psychological stressors such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and poor sleep trigger the inflammatory response and increase the risk of disease. They attack these issues in a variety of ways: Chapters in Part I describe the biological processes involved in inflammation, focusing on both the typical bodily response to threat as well as on the long-term deleterious effects of stress upon the immune system, and chapters in Part I I examine the role of psychosocial stress in disease etiology. Throughout, chapter authors present evidence of connections between mind and body and emphasize the need for improved communication between physicians and mental health care providers. This book will be a valuable resource for researchers as well as practitioners who hope to share the benefits of these findings with their clients"--