The Adult Child of a Patient Diagnosed with Major Depression

Multiple Choice

The adult child of a patient diagnosed with major depression asks,"Do you think depression and physical illness are connected? Since my father's death,my mother has had shingles and the flu,but she's usually not one who gets sick." Which answer by the nurse best reflects current knowledge about psychoneuroimmunology?

A) "It is probably a coincidence. Emotions and physical responses travel on different tracts of the nervous system."
B) "You may be paying more attention to your mother since your father died and noticing more things such as minor illnesses."
C) "So far, research on emotions or stress and becoming ill more easily is unclear. We do not know for sure if there is a link."
D) "Negative emotions and stress may interfere with the body's ability to protect itself and can increase the likelihood of infection."