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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2/2015

01-04-2015 | Original Article

Psychological Distress, Emotional Stability, and Emotion Regulation Moderate Dynamics of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Recurrence

Authors: Erin E. Horn, MA, Eric Turkheimer, PhD, Eric Strachan, PhD

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 2/2015

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Abstract

Background

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) genital lesion recurrence is modulated by psychological factors, but no such link with viral shedding (and thus asymptomatic transmission) has been observed in humans.

Purpose

The moderating effects of average psychological distress, emotional stability, and emotion regulation on HSV-2 recurrence were tested.

Methods

Nineteen HSV-2 seropositive women were followed over 22 weeks. Daily measures of HSV-2 recurrence and psychological distress were collected. HSV-2 lesions and viral shedding were modeled as linear oscillator systems, with psychological distress moderating the periodicity of each process.

Results

High levels of distress, more labile moods, and less ability to regulate emotional states were associated with fewer days elapsed between the onset of lesion episodes. Viral shedding showed the same pattern.

Conclusions

Results are consistent with research indicating that psychological distress suppresses immune system functioning, and provide new evidence that genital HSV-2 viral shedding is related to, and regulated by, psychological distress.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Note that after standardization, low z-scores for emotion regulation in fact reflect better regulation, because oscillation is faster at more negative values.
 
2
This is the case when η 1 and/or ζ 1 are positive; the reverse occurs when these estimates are negative.
 
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Metadata
Title
Psychological Distress, Emotional Stability, and Emotion Regulation Moderate Dynamics of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Recurrence
Authors
Erin E. Horn, MA
Eric Turkheimer, PhD
Eric Strachan, PhD
Publication date
01-04-2015
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 2/2015
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9640-9

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