LIFE EVENTS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

One hundred ninety-two elderly men and women were investigated to dete rmine the effects of recent life events, psychological adjustment, and social support on lymphocyte count, controlling for nutritional statu s, age, education, income, and the presence of lymphocyte-altering dru gs. Effects of specific recent life events were found. For elderly mal es, recent sexual dysfunction lowers lymphocyte count, while psycholog ical adjustment and percentage kin in the intimate network elevates it . For elderly females, the experience of either family or legal proble ms elevates lymphocyte count as does frequent interaction with members of the intimate network. These results suggest that life events have very different effects on elderly men and women's immune systems. Soci al support has direct but mediating effects on lymphocyte count for bo th genders.