For more than 20 years, Rockport Institute has gathered empirical data showing that changing from an ill-fitting career to one that is fulfilling and that produces a lower stress level reduces colds, flu and other immune system disorders. Many studies have shown this to be accurate. A compromised immune system doesn't just expose you to a higher risk of colds and flu, it lowers your resistance all across the board, making you more susceptible to catching something that will kill you. Other studies confirm that an ill-fitting career causes stress that increases the risk of early death. In addition, depression, even chronic mild depression, can compromise your immune system. We list just a few here to make our point. The literature on this subject is extensive.

A major Finnish study found that those with stressful jobs had twice the risk of dying from coronary artery disease as or as did satisfied employees. The study involved 812 workers. All were free from cardiovascular diseases at baseline. They were followed for a mean of 25.6 years. After adjustment for age and sex, participants with high job strain (a combination of high demands at work and low job control) had double (Relative Risk = 2.2) the cardiovascular mortality risk compared with their colleagues who had low job strain. The risk was more than doubled (RR = 2.4) for employees with effort-reward imbalance (low salary, lack of social approval, and few career opportunities relative to efforts required at work). The risk remained significant after further adjustment for occupational group and biological and behavioral risks at baseline. High job strain and high effort-reward imbalance were also associated with increased cholesterol concentration and body mass index at follow-up. Kivimaki M, et al. Br Med J 325:857-60, 19 Oct 2002

A study of 774 men published in Health Psychology found that hostility and pessimism were worse on the male's heart than smoking, drinking or obesity.

A study published in the April 2001 issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that immune function is weaker when people are in a bad mood. "This study adds to the evidence that a person's psychological state can influence their immune function", said Ed Diener, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports job stress-related disorders are fast becoming the most prevalent reason for worker disability.

Forty percent of worker turnover is due to job stress. Xerox estimates it costs $1 million to $1.5 million to replace a top executive. For lower level employees, it costs $2,000 dollars to $13,000 dollars per person.

A 1992 UN report called job stress "The 20th Century Epidemic." The World Health Organization called job stress a "Worldwide Epidemic."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: - "Neurotic reaction to stress" is the fourth most disabling workplace injury. In 1993 more than 25 days were lost on average by each person suffering job stress.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: 25% of those surveyed said their job was the single greatest cause of stress in their life.

British Medical Journal- Feb. 22, 1997- 2 Studies showed that job stress increases the chances of coronary heart disease. Job control and pressure were tested.

Between 1981-1995, 44 studies were published, most of which found a significant positive relationship between job strain and all-cause mortality or job strain and CVD risk factors, such as hypertension. Estimates of relative risk for men in cohort studies with positive results have ranged from 1.6 for all-cause mortality among 477 retired Swedish men followed for six years, to 1.9 for CVD mortality among a representative sample of 7219 Swedish male employees followed for nine years, to 6.2 for 79 male Swedish myocardial infarction (MI) survivors followed for 6-8 years. A relative risk of 2.9 for coronary heart disease (CHD) among 328 women followed for 10 years, was observed in the Framingham Heart Study.

Emotional Style and Susceptibility to the Common Cold Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Turner, R. B., Alper, C. M., and Skoner, D. P. Carnegie Mellon University 2002. It has been hypothesized that persons who usually express negative emotions are at greater risk for disease and those who usually express positive emotions are at less risk. We tested these hypotheses for host resistance to the common cold. 334 healthy volunteers 18-54 years were assessed for their tendency to express positive emotions such as happy, pleased and relaxed; and for negative emotions such as anxious, hostile and depressed. Subsequently, they were given nasal drops containing 1 of 2 rhinoviruses and monitored in quarantine for the development of a common cold (illness in the presence of verified infection). For both viruses, increased positive emotional style (PES) was associated with lower risk of developing a cold.

Researcher Sheldon Cohen says, "We found that people high on positive emotional style were less likely to develop colds than people who were low...As positive emotions increase, the probability that they would develop a cold decreased."

Research shows that emotional distress creates susceptibility to physical illness. Exam stress increases susceptibility to viral infection. Stress from lack of control in the workplace or from life events creates susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Animal studies reviewed by Wilkinson and Brunner provide supporting evidence that emotional distress can lead to physical illness by affecting the immune response.

Alterman T, Shekelle RB, Vernon SW, Burau KD. Decision latitude, psychological demand, job strain and coronary heart disease in the Western Electric Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 1994;139:620-7.

Biondi, M. & Annino, L.G. (1997). Psychological stress, neuroimmunemodulation and susceptibility to infectious diseases in animal and man: A review. Psychother Psychosom, 66(1), 3-26.

Bittman, B. (2000). Psychoneuroimmunology of laughter and music. Paper presented at the 11th annual clinical meeting of the AAPM Sept 21, 2000.

Braun S, Hollander R. A study of job stress among women and men in the Federal Republic of Germany. Health Education Research 1987;2:45-51.

Brunner E. Stress and the biology of inequality. BMJ 1997; 314: 1472-1475

Cohen S, Tyrrell DAJ, Smith AP. Psychological stress and susceptibility to the common cold. N Engl J Med 1991; 325: 606-612

Glaser, R. (1996). The effects of stress on the immune system:
Implications for healthy. Summary of presentation on Dec 17, Science Writers Briefings, OBSSR and APAc.

Hall EM, Johnson JV, Tsou T-S. Women, occupation, and risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews 1993;8:709-19.

Hlatky MA, Lam LC, Lee KL, Clapp-Channing NE, Williams RB, Pryor DB, Califf RM, Mark DB. Job strain and the prevalence and outcome of coronary artery disease. Circulation 1995;92:327-333.

Johansson G, Johnson JV, Hall EM. Smoking and sedentary behavior as related to work organization. Soc Sci Med 1991;32:837-846.

Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K., Page, G.G., Marucha, P.T., MacCallum, R.C. & Glaser, R. (1998). Psychological influences on surgical recovery; perspectives from psychoneuroimmunology. Am Psychol, 53(11), 11209-18.

Marmot M, Davey Smith G, Stansfield S, Patel C, North F, Head J, et al. Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. Lancet 1991; 337: 1387-1393

Martin, P. (1998). The Healing Mind: The vital links between brain and
behavior, immunity and disease. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Paige, G.G. & Ben-Eliyahu, S. (1997). The immune-suppressive nature of
pain. Semin Oncol Nurs, 13(1), 10-5.

Rosengren A, Orth-Gomer K, Wedel H, Wilhelmsen L. Stressful life events, social support and mortality in men born in 1933. BMJ 1993; 307: 1102-1105

Sali, A. (1997). Psychoneuroimmunology: Fact or fiction. J Fam
Physician, 26(11), 1291-4, 1296-9.

Schnall PL, Landsbergis PA, Baker D. Job strain and cardiovascular disease. Annual Review of Public Health 1994;15:381-411

Segerstrom, S. (1998). Optimistic outlook may protect immune system
from stress. J of Pers and Soc Psych, 74.

Siegel, B. (1998). Love, medicine and miracles. New York: Harper and
Row.

Suadicani P, Hein HO, Gyntelberg F. Are social inequalities as associated with the risk of ischemic heart disease a result of psychosocial working conditions? Atherosclerosis 1993;101:165-75.

Wilkinson RG. Unhealthy societies: the afflictions of inequality. London: Routledge , 1996.