Depression, anger affect elders' immune system

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Depression, anger affect elders' immune system

By Merritt McKinney

NEW YORK, Jan 04 (Reuters Health) - For older men, feelings of

depression may weaken the immune system, new research suggests. And

anger seems to have a similar effect in both men and women caring for a

spouse with Alzheimer's disease.

People have traditionally looked at depression and stress with a

one-size-fits-all mentality, according to the study's lead author, Dr.

M. Scanlan of the University of Washington in Seattle. This view

suggests that " all stressors will apply equally to all people, " he

explained in an interview with Reuters Health.

But Scanlan and his colleagues argue that there are certain groups, such

as older men and caregivers, who are more vulnerable to stress and

depression.

The researchers studied the relationship between anger, depressed

feelings and the immune system in 82 elderly individuals who cared for a

spouse with Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers were compared with a

" control " group of 83 married noncaregivers who were matched for age and

sex.

At the start of the study and 18 months later, the investigators

evaluated the participants' physical and psychological health, as well

as their physical activity. Scanlan's group also measured how vigorously

participants' immune systems responded to substances that trigger the

activation of cells called lymphocytes.

In men, feelings of depression were linked to a diminished immune

response, the researchers report in a recent issue of the Journal of

Behavioral Medicine. In contrast, feelings of depression were not

associated with immune function in women.

Most of the depressed feelings of men in the study arose not from actual

clinical depression but from feelings of loneliness, the report

indicates. Older men may be more reluctant to talk about their problems

and tend to have fewer friends than older women, the authors point out.

In the interview, Scanlan noted that caregiving is not a traditional

male role, which may affect how men cope with this responsibility. Some

research has suggested, he added, that men's bodies are better equipped

for dealing with short-term challenges than long-term challenges. He

noted that men typically experience bursts of stress hormones when faced

with a challenge, but this type of response may not be effective for

dealing with chronic sources of stress, such as caregiving.

Although the relationship between depressed mood and immunity differed

by gender, higher levels of anger were linked to reduced immune function

at the end of the study in both male and female caregivers.

The " combination of anger and chronic stress can result in reduced

immune function, " Scanlan said.

The University of Washington researcher added that he would like to see

studies conducted to determine what types of interventions, such as

support groups, could help older men, as well as male and female

caregivers, deal with the stresses they face.

SOURCE: Journal of Behavioral Medicine 2001;24:537-555.