The Inter-Relationship between Stress and the Human Immune System upon Health Outcomes The impact of stress on human immune system functioning and health outcomes is an area of recent interest. This investigation as to how health outcomes are affected by this inter-relationship will firstly operationalise all of the variables (health, stress, immune system); and secondly, by describing the functions and reactions of the immune system to clinically induced stressors, establish that there is a correlation between stress and immune response. The final area of investigation will discuss how the human body, when exposed to a variety of stressors, causes major changes within the immune system (which can be scientifically measured), and thus affect health outcomes. How groups are affected throughout the life span continuum will be discussed, with particular reference to women diagnosed with breast cancer, HIV+ gay men, and the impact of personality types deemed to be at greatest risk. Stress, as defined by Selye (1960), is namely "the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it; a stereotypical, phylogenetically old adaptation pattern, primarily preparing the organism for physical activity" (cited Gunderson and Rahe, 1979, p. 9). The current scientific paradigm asserts that stress has three distinct characteristics. External stress refers to any or environmental stimulus that causes a person to feel tense or aroused. Internal stress refers to the subjective mental state of tension or arousal, and involves the interpretive, emotive, defensive and coping processes occurring inside that person. The third characteristic of stress involves the body's physical reaction to demand or demanding intrusions (Rice, 1999). Baum argues that the primary functions of these physical reactions are to support each individual's behavioural and psychological response in relation to stress (1990, cited Rice, 1999). There are two main categorie...
