Ayurveda and COVID-19: Where psychoneuroimmunology and the meaning response meet.
Brain Behav Immun
; 87: 8-9, 2020 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1719343
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high levels of psychological distress in the general public, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. Such distress is associated with alterations in immune function, including an elevated risk of viral respiratory tract infections. In this light, the possible effects of Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine promoted by the Indian government as an "immune booster", are examined from the point of view of psychoneuroimmune mechanisms as well as the "meaning response" described by Moerman. It was found that many of the measures advocated in their guidelines could positively influence immunity either by direct effects on symptoms of depression or anxiety, or through their symbolic significance. Therefore, it is possible that such traditional practices could be beneficial both in terms of psychological quality of life, and in terms of moderating the risk of infection.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Anxiety
/
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Psychoneuroimmunology
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Depression
/
Medicine, Ayurvedic
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Topics:
Traditional medicine
/
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Brain Behav Immun
Journal subject:
Allergy and Immunology
/
Brain
/
Psychophysiology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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