Over 50 percent of deaths in the United States can be attributed to behavioral and social factors, says psychologist Oakley Ray, Ph.D., of the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University who reviewed the last century of research on psychosocial factors and health. Furthermore, recent research provides evidence that stresses that affect the brain can hurt the body at the cellular and molecular level and diminish a person’s health and quality of life. But, the research also says that maintaining a positive frame of mind can help a person overcome some of these stress effects, fight disease better and ultimately delay death. These findings are reported on in this month’s American Psychologist, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Ray’s review of the 100 years of the psychological literature on stress, disease and behavioral medicine adds support to the growing body of evidence of the impact of non-biological factors on health. The challenge now, according to Ray, is to bring this new knowledge to the healthcare system. “Knowing how the brain influences peoples’ health and susceptibility to illness can bring important changes to the healthcare system. Understanding how the mind, the endocrine system, the nervous system and immune system all interact (better known as ‘psychoendoneuroimmunology’(PENI) is crucial in helping people conquer the stress in their lives and stay healthy,” said Ray.
An example of the PENI system breaking down under pressure is illustrated in a study of a large number of first year medical students becoming ill with upper respiratory tract infections close to their exam period, said Ray. “This study shows how stress levels can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope and increase their risk for infectious disease.” (Kieclot-Glaser & Glaser, 1987).
Personality, lifestyle and environment can all affect whether a person gets sick if exposed to infectious agents according to the biopsychosocial model, said Ray. “There are pathogens that can live in equilibrium with us – like tuberculosis – with only a small percentage developing symptoms and exhibiting illness. Those who don’t get sick probably have a well functioning PENI system.”
A balance between an individual’s coping skills and his or her stress level can also be the tipping point of whether one is more susceptible to illness or not, said Ray. According to the literature, coping skills can be defined as having a good knowledge of the world you live in; having inner resources and believing you have some control over life events; having social support, which is proven to have a direct affect on mortality rate; and having a spiritual orientation to oneself and the world.
