The authors then showed that the monkeys who were more socially isolated (step 1) had higher glucocorticoid levels (step 2), fewer antibodies against the virus (step 3), and a higher mortality rate (step 4). How about humans? To begin, starting with the same amount of HIV in your system, a faster decline and a higher mortality rate occur, on average, among people who have any of the following: (a) a coping style built around denial; (b) minimal social support; (c) a socially inhibited temperament; (d) more stressors, particularly loss of loved ones. These are not huge effects but,
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