PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF IMMUNOLOGICAL INDEXES

Most psychoimmunological studies have focused on the effects of short- term situation-bound stress. This study was designed to explore the ef fects of different short- and long-term psychological factors on immun ity, as reflected in the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation ( LAA) in the peripheral blood, the white blood cell count (WBCC) and th e erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The subjects were 91 healthy m en and women, aged 18-69 years. They were administered the tests for L AA, WBCC and ESR, the Life Experiences Survey (Sarason et al.), the Qu estionnaire of Personal Problems (Kreitler and Kreitler), three measur es of emotions, scales of neuroticism (Eysenck), stress susceptibility (Tellegen), strength of excitation, inhibition and mobility of nervou s processes (Strelau), and the cognitive orientation (CO) of health. T he results showed that the state of LAA in the peripheral blood correl ated with 21.3 per cent of the psychological variables and that in a r egression analysis these accounted for 38.2 per cent of the variance i n LAA, the major predictors being specific personal problems and a con stituent of the CO of health. The former alone accounted for 22.8 per cent of the variance and the latter for 26.6 per cent. The major predi ctor in men was personal problems and in women CO of health. WBCC and ESR were related to psychological factors to a lesser degree and to ot her predictors, mainly emotional. The conclusions emphasize the relate dness of LAA to specific sources of stress of short (viz problems) and long (viz deficient means of reducing stress) duration.