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Marital Stress: Immunologic, Neuroendocrine, and Autonomic Correlates a
Author(s) -
KIECOLTGLASER JANICE K.,
GLASER RONALD,
CACIOPPO JOHN T.,
MALARKEY WILLIAM B.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09604.x
Subject(s) - generalizability theory , hormone , psychology , endocrine system , epinephrine , physiology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , endocrinology
A bstract : Ninety newlywed couples (mean age = 25), selected on the basis of extremely stringent mental and physical health criteria, were admitted to a hospital research unit for 24 hours to provide a detailed assessment of conflict‐resolution behaviors and changes in autonomic, endocrine, and immune function. Among these newlyweds, negative or hostile behaviors during marital conflict (coded from videotaped interactions) were associated with increased levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, growth hormone, and ACTH as well as greater immunological change over the subsequent 24 hours. Wives demonstrated greater and more persistent physiological changes related to marital conflict than husbands. To assess the generalizability of these physiological changes, a similar laboratory paradigm was used with 31 older couples (mean age = 67) who had been married an average of 42 years. Consistent with the data from newlyweds, both endocrinological and immunological data showed significant relationships to negative behavior during marital conflict in these older couples. These findings suggest that abrasive marital interactions have important endocrinological and immunological correlates.