Topics in Clinical Chiropractic 1996 Dec Vol. 3(4) Pgs. 25-31
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe a body of literature that explores the relationship between psychological factors and physiological responses that can enhance or inhibit healing. Method: A qualitative review of the literature pertaining to depression, stress, anxiety and their relationships to multiple sclerosis, HIV, and other disease processes was undertaken. Summary: There has been a great deal of research examining the relationship between psychosocial stressors, emotional states, and disease processes. Most often, this research has indicated a strong correlation between emotional states such as depression, anxiety and immune system functioning. Life situations such as loss, divorce, death of a loved one, job status change, and thrill seeking have all been linked to a decrease in immune response. Likewise, diseases such as multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, and viral infections have been shown to be causally implicated in psychiatric conditions. There are approaches chirorpactors and other practitioners can take that would allow them to attend to these psychosocial variables and increase the recovery rate for some types of patients.