stress has an effect of weakening the immune system, so you are more likely to be ill when stressed (08 Dec 04 - 03:39 PM )

Stress in general? No.

Short term stress improves the immune defense.
Chronic, long-term stress (and the coping mechanisms we use with long-term stress) worsen the immune defense.

Segerstrom & Miller, 2004. Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry, Psychological Bulletin, 130, 4.

Wolfgang