Mourners have elevated levels of inflammation, defective expression of immune cell genes, and reduced antibody reactivity.
Losing a loved one is a traumatic experience for the mind and for the body. Researchers from the University of Arizona in the United States analyzed the links between grief and the immune system in research published between 1977 and today. They note that the immune system of bereaved people is weakened. Their results were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
This meta-analysis brings together 41 years of work, or 33 studies, from which the researchers extracted 13 higher quality research. They find that mourners have some common immune characteristics. Generally, they have higher levels of inflammation, defective expression of immune cell genes and defective antibody response.
A risk of premature death
Previous studies show that bereavement increases the risk of premature death: a study carried out in 1995 attests that the loss of a spouse significantly increases the risk of death, in particular in the following 7 to 12 months. This is why researchers are interested in the consequences of this period on the immune system. “Perhaps one day doctors will be able to follow the immune evolution of patients, imagines Mary-Frances O’Connor, co-author of the study. And to avoid medical complications after this difficult moment.”
When grief becomes a disease
The death of a loved one systematically involves going through mourning. However, we are not all equal when it comes to this moment in life. In some people, it can become a disease: pathological grief. Depression, ulcer or addiction are symptoms that require the greatest vigilance of those around you. To treat pathological mourning, medical support is necessary.
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