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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Techniques In Chronic Illness, Anna Celia Gil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Chronic stress and its effect on both physical and mental health have been a topic of increasing interest in the past several decades. There is mounting evidence that recurrent, persistent stress of both a physiologic and psychological nature leads to a dysfunction in the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA), the system which helps the body recover and adapt to short term stress. In long term stress, this HPA dysfunction leads to impairment of the immune and neuroendocrine systems resulting in chronic low-grade inflammation. This type of chronic inflammation acts as a precursor to several chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, …