Stress-related illness

The term "stress" was borrowed from engineering by Hans Selye in the 1930's. Selye investigated the biology of the stress response and established a link between stress and a range of stress-related illnesses.

Recent research by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser has focused on the effect of stress on the immune system. This research has established a new area of biological psychology called psychoneuroimmunology.

The link below is to a short radio programme by Vivienne Parry on the biological basis of stress and explains how long term stress (chronic stress) can have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and the brain. It also includes a good example of the kind of research that biological psychologists conduct using human participants.

Vivienne Parry investigates the biological basis of stress