The Psychoneuroimmunology of Chronic Disease: Exploring the Links Between Inflammation, Stress, and Illness

Recent years have witnessed considerable growth in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, which describes how psychological factors, such as stress and depression, impact the neurological and immune systems. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett and an elite group of researchers explore the ways physical and psychological stressors such as poor sleep, PTSD, and depression, trigger the inflammatory response and increase the risk of disease. They approach this material from a variety of perspectives. Chapters in Part I describe the biological processes involved in inflammation, focusing on both the typical bodily response to threat as well as on the long-term deleterious effects of stress upon the immune system; while chapters in Part II examine the role of psychosocial stress in disease etiology. Throughout, chapter authors present evidence of connections between mind and body, and emphasize the need for improved communication between physicians and mental health care providers.