mRNA vaccines, like Covid-19 vaccines, work better if patients are in a good mood, finds new research by Cardiff University.
A new study has uncovered how our psychological state can impact the antibody responses to two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. The study observed that greater positive mood and fewer depressive symptoms were associated with improved immune response to mRNA vaccines.
People with the highest levels of positive mood had antibody levels 16% higher than those with the lowest levels of positive mood. Whilst people with moderate depression showed an 18% lower antibody response to the Covid-19 vaccine, compared to people with no depressive symptoms.
Professor Kavita Vedhara, Cardiff University School of Psychology, said: "Research with traditional vaccines, such as flu, has shown that some psychological factors, such as stress, are associated with vaccines working less well, particularly in older adults.
"However, mRNA vaccines work differently. Rather than using a weakened version of a virus, mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response to the virus.
"During the pandemic there was some evidence to suggest that these mRNA vaccines offered greater protection than more traditional vaccines. We were interested to know whether, despite their superiority, could psychological factors still influence how well these vaccines worked. This is the first time these relationships have been examined in the context of mRNA vaccines."
On the day 184 people received their first vaccine dose, the researchers collected blood samples and patients were asked to complete questionnaires measuring stress, anxiety, depression and positive mood. A second blood sample was collected approximately four weeks after people received their second dose.
By following people up during both doses of the vaccine, we have been able to investigate if and how psychological factors influenced the antibody response after the second and final dose of the vaccine.
The study revealed that people reporting fewer depressive symptoms and greater positive mood at the time of their first vaccination went on to have significantly larger antibody responses after their second and final dose.
There was no evidence to support anxiety or stress impacting the antibody responses to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
Professor Vedhara added: "Our research provides some of the best evidence to date that psychological factors are associated with mRNA vaccine responses. Although these effects are modest, they are striking because we are seeing these relationships in vaccines that are otherwise very effective and, in particular, in younger adults - who usually respond well to vaccines.
These findings support a need to understand how these effects are occurring and how we might develop new treatments to optimise people's mood at the time of their vaccines to ensure they work as well as possible.
"Vaccines are considered to be among the most important health measures ever developed, with research suggesting that, globally, vaccines save six lives every minute. But not everyone benefits from vaccines. This work helps us understand how we might help them work better in the most vulnerable groups."
The research, Psychological correlates of antibody response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: a prospective observational cohort study, was published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
