ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a review on the human immune system, focusing on the basic elements of natural, acquired and cell mediated immunity. It looks at the research on the role of psychological health, including the effects of stress and depression on immunology and on physiological outcomes. The chapter also looks at the relationship between social support networks and psychoneuroimmunology. It briefly describes to the effects of chronic health conditions on psychological and immunological health. The chapter examines the role, actual or perceived, of a specific environmental factor, social economic status, on physiological health factors. For more than 30 years, researchers have used academic stress, specifically the type experienced during exam period, to explore the relationship between psychological stress and immunity. With the link between marital discord and negative health outcomes established, researchers wondered whether there also might be an association between marital quality and the immune system.
