Relationships and health

Feeling insecure in a relationship takes its toll on the immune system. Those who struggle to form close, trusting relationships may have weaker immune function, since, according to Italian research, "natural killer" immune system cells do not function as well in those who struggle to form close, trusting relationships (Psychosom Med 2007 69: 40-46).

Furthermore, there is an increasing body of evidence that stress has an adverse effect on our health. According to US researchers, the stress caused by a 30-minute row with a spouse is enough to slow wound healing by a day (Arch Gen Psychiatry, Dec 2005; 62: 1377-1384). A physical basis for this finding is suggested by the research which shows that levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a key immune system chemical that controls wound healing, are also particularly elevated in hostile couples.

Our emotional life is deeply linked to our physiology, our minds to our bodies, and our relationships to our health. The tendency of many in medicine to take a reductionistic view of humans and health should take note of this burgeoning field. It is not enough to simply pay lip-service to a holisitic approach to human health. Undue emphasis on the 'bean-counting' tactic exemplified by the contemporary obsession with targets will prove to be woefully inadequate at improving health. Cholesterol can be measured and treated easily enough, but it is the quality of our relationships that makes all the difference.