Which researcher is associated with research showing that caregiving for a chronically ill relative can delay wound healing via elevated cortisol?

• A. Albert et al. (1986)
• B. Kiecolt-Glaser
• C. Selye
• D. Lazarus

Answer: (B)

Chronic stress from caring for a chronically ill relative can keep the body's stress system activated, raising cortisol levels over time. Cortisol, in sustained amounts, can dampen immune function and slow the processes needed for wound healing. The key study linking this real-life stressor to a biological outcome is by Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues, who found caregivers had higher cortisol and slower wound healing than noncaregivers, showing how a social stressor can translate into measurable physiological changes that hinder healing.

Selye described the general stress response, but his work doesn’t tie caregiving to cortisol and wound healing. Lazarus focused on how people think about and cope with stress, rather than the hormonal and immune pathways involved here.