Repetitive Thought, Stress, and Immunity in Older Adults

描述(申请人提供)：应激源对免疫系统的影响与老年人特别相关：强大的应激源，如丧亲之痛，随着年龄的增长而变得更加常见，对压力的免疫反应随着年龄的增长而变得更大，以及免疫失调和免疫介导性疾病的易感性随着年龄的增加而增加。以前的研究已经将老年的压力源与更多的痛苦和生理失调联系在一起，包括抑郁、皮质醇水平高、对疫苗接种反应差以及促炎细胞因子IL-6水平高。这项拟议的研究将侧重于应激源对老年人的预期影响，并通过在重复思维(RT)中包括个体差异，即对应激事件的认知解释和处理，来解决现有文献的局限性。反应时的个体差异可以产生对压力源的脆弱性或韧性：消极的、不受控制的和侵入性的想法(例如，担忧)会延长和放大消极的后果，而积极的和受控的想法(例如，反思)可以缓冲消极的后果，并促进积极的后果，如成长。在这项为期5年的纵向、前瞻性研究中，将访问60岁或60岁以上的已婚成年人(N=183)，每6个月收集一次唾液皮质醇样本；他们将每年接种流感疫苗，并在接种前后和流感季节结束时收集血清抗体和IL-6。本研究的主要目的是检验以下预测：(1)压力源和RT预测健康或调节失调的心理和生理指标；(2)RT调节压力源的影响；(3)心理指标(如抑郁)在压力源和RT和生理之间的关系中起中介作用。这项研究的第二个目的是将皮质醇、自主神经活性和抑制、IL-6和抗体相互联系起来，并与流感感染的证据联系起来。另一个次要目的是验证老年人RT的维度结构，并将特质RT(例如，特质担忧)与间歇性RT(例如，对特定应激源的想法)联系起来。与公共卫生的相关性：老年人的压力会增加他们对精神和身体疾病的脆弱性。这项研究将测试担心等思维方式是否会让老年人面临更大的风险。这一知识可用于识别和干预风险最高的个人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The effects of stressors on the immune system are particularly relevant for older adults: Potent stressors such as bereavement become more common with age, immune reactions to stress grow larger with age, and vulnerability to immunological dysregulation and immunologically mediated disease increases with age. Previous studies have linked stressors in old age with increased distress and physiological dysregulation, including depression, high levels of cortisol, poor responses to vaccination, and high levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. The proposed research will address limitations of the extant literature by focusing on the prospective effects of stressors among older adults and by including individual differences in repetitive thought (RT), that is, the cognitive interpretation and processing of stressful events. Individual differences in RT can create vulnerability or resilience to stressors: Negative, uncontrolled, and intrusive thought (e.g., worry) can prolong and amplify negative consequences, whereas positive and controlled thought (e.g., reflection) can buffer against negative consequences and promote positive consequences such as growth. In this 5-year longitudinal, prospective study, married adults aged 60 or older (N = 183) will be interviewed and will collect saliva samples for cortisol every 6 months; they will be vaccinated annually against influenza, and serum for antibody and IL-6 will be collected before and after vaccination and at the end of influenza season. The primary aim of the study is to test the following predictions: (1) stressors and RT predict psychological and physiological indices of health or dysregulation; (2) RT moderates the effects of stressors; (3) psychological indices (e.g., depression) mediate the relationship between stressors and RT and physiology. A secondary aim of the study is to relate cortisol, autonomic activity and inhibition, IL-6, and antibody to each other and to evidence of influenza infection. Another secondary aim is to validate the dimensional structure of RT in older adults and link trait RT (e.g., trait worry) to episodic RT (e.g., thoughts about a specific stressor). Relevance to public health: Stress in older adults can increase their vulnerability to both mental and physical illness. This research will test whether thought styles such as worry put older adults at greater risk. This knowledge could be used to identify and intervene with the most at-risk individuals.