Mononucleosis and psychosocial factors

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  May, 2005  by Robert A. Anderson

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Twenty-eight hospitalized and 22 outpatient students ill with mononucleosis were psychologically evaluated. In men, significant correlations were present with a broken love relationship in the prior month (p<.05) and dissatisfaction with the school year (p<.05). In women, associated factors were consideration of withdrawal from school in the prior month (p<.05), seeing a personal counselor in the prior month (p<.01) and low level of her father's education (p<.05). The most significant correlation on the California Psychological Inventory was in the intellectual effectiveness scale in women (p<.025).

Roark JE. Psychosomatic factors in the epidemiology of infectious mononucleosis. Psychosomatics 1971 SepOct; 12(5):402-11

COMMENT: Immunological susceptibility is related to psychosocial upheaval. Or it may be more precise to say that it is the interpretation of the meaning of the incident of upheaval which bears the strongest relationship to susceptibility. It is in the parsing of these two descriptions that the belief system, attitudinal worldview and the balance of inner vs. outer locus of control become quintessential. In popular vernacular, Louis Harris' "I'm O.K., You're O.K." outlook stemming from a positive attitude about oneself and the world seems to invite the optimum responsiveness of the immune system in regard to overdone inflammatory responses and susceptibility to infection.

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