PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF IMMUNE RESPONSIVENESS AND ILLNESS EPISODESIN US AIR-FORCE ACADEMY CADETS UNDERGOING BASIC CADET TRAINING

This study examined psychosocial correlates of immune function and ill ness in 89 male first-year US Air Force Academy cadets. A psychosocial questionnaire was administered to cadets prior to their arrival at th e academy and was readministered during cadet orientation and during t he stressful environment of Basic Cadet Training (BCT). Immune respons iveness was analyzed by PHA-, PMA-, or anti-CD3-stimulated thymidine u ptake in mononuclear leucocytes. Illness episodes were assessed via me dical chart review and self-reported symptoms. There were significant increases in distress levels as cadets entered BCT. No psychosocial me asure assessed prior to arrival at the academy predicted level of PHA- , PMA-, and anti-CD3-stimulated thymidine uptake or risk of illness. H owever, hostility levels reported during BCT predicted risk of illness in the four weeks following psychosocial assessment (odds ratio = 7.1 ; 95% confidence interval: 1.4-36.1). Elevated response to environment al stressors and lower well-being levels also predicted impending illn ess, but only in the cohort of cadets who had not contracted food pois oning prior to assessment during BCT (OR = 9.3, Cl = 1.9-46.7; OR = 0. 09, CI = 0.02-0.53). These results suggest that self-report measures o f hostility, response to environmental stressors and wellbeing may be useful predictors of impending illness episodes in males encountering high stress environments.