Do mental health and stress affect the immune system?
A meeting here, an appointment there, plus a quick dash around the supermarket before picking the kids up from nursery: it all adds up to stress on a massive scale, and often on a daily basis. Can a stressful daily life have an impact on one's mental health and also affect the immune system? The answer is a resounding 'Yes'. Find out how and why here. You will also learn how you can strengthen your immune system. Enter our competition as well, and with a bit of luck you could win one of the attractive prizes designed to give your health a boost.
There is a lot of talk about the immune system. Some people have a good one, while other people's are weakened. You can support your immune system by consuming vitamins and getting enough sleep, while exercise or winter swimming can help strengthen it. The numerous germs, viruses and fungi it encounters also keep the immune system constantly on its toes and ensure it never has time to get bored. As a result, it learns to attack and eliminate harmful invaders as quickly as possible.
What else does the immune system do?
First and foremost, that is by no means a simple question – the immune system is a complex system of the human body. Its role is to look out for you like a kind of personal bodyguard. Various factors and aspects such as mental health can impact the effectiveness of the immune system. One key factor is stress: mental stress can have an impact first on one's mental health and – over the long term – on the immune system.
Mental stress encourages inflammation
Psychoneuroimmunology researches the impact of one's mental state on the immune system. It investigates the interactions between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Mental stress can affect the release of immunoregulatory substances via these complex relationships and increase inflammation in the body. Stress also reduces the quantity of supportive neurotransmitters like vitamins and antioxidants, which perform a protective function.
This means that a healthy lifestyle can actually be crucial in determining whether we get through the winter without succumbing to a bad case of flu or a severe cold.
Chronic stress affects the immune system
Chronic stress can severely affect the immune system. For one thing, persistent stress causes the immune cells that kill germs to lose their ability to multiply. The increased concentration of the stress hormone cortisol can also affect the activity of immune cells and accelerate the processes that encourage inflammation. This can make it harder for the immune system to fight infection. The volume of antibodies in our saliva is also reduced.
Good to know: The WHO (World Health Organization) considers stress to be one of the biggest health risks of the 21st century.
Not all stress is equal
These effects may vary from person to person, as not everyone experiences stress in the same way. Moreover, not everyone who experiences stress or suffers from mental health problems will necessarily develop an impaired immune function. Genetic factors, individual susceptibility and the type of stress management methods used also play a key role.
Positive emotions strengthen the immune system
Conversely, positive emotions such as joy, gratitude and calmness and a general feeling of wellbeing can strengthen the immune system: happy and contented people tend to have a better immune function.
Stress test: How stressed are you?
Do you remain calm in every situation? Or is there so much on your plate right now that you feel overwhelmed? Answer the seven questions below to get a better sense of your current stress level.
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Psychological/psychiatric counselling service
Are you plagued by worries and fears or are you aware of other psychological symptoms? A challenging everyday situation or other uncertainties can cause stress. As part of the santé24 telemedicine service, SWICA offers its customers psychiatric/psychological counselling from specialists. Contact us to arrange an appointment.
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