Psychoneuroimmunology of Attachment: A review study

The bio-psycho-social approach to health psychology adopted a critical view of the bio-medical model. That was the dominant model of the 19th century. It was presumed that biological factors those the only etiological and therapeutic factors contributing to diseases and took a significant step toward the prevention and treatment of diseases. The field of psychoneuroimmunology was developed based on this approach, which studies the interplay of psychological factors, neuroendocrine systems, and the immune system. Attachment is one of the most important psychological factors influencing one’s relationships, emotion regulation strategies, and immunological systems throughout their life. In this short review, we scrutinized the role of attachment in the function of the immune system and different pathways through which attachment affects our body. In sum, the literature review showed that insecure attachments influence the immune system on three levels: The hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, neural structures, and epigenetic processes. Details and procedures are discussed.