Depression and Chronic and Autoimmune Diseases

For this Application Assignment, review this week’s Learning Resources including the Chronic Disease and Autoimmune Disease sections of the “Stress, The Immune System, Chronic Illness, and Your Body” handout. Then select an illness that has a high co-occurrence with depression. Finally, consider teaching strategies that may reduce the effects of the stress related-illness.

The Assignment (3–5 page APA-formatted essay)

• Describe the connection between depression and the illness you selected and explain the factors of the disease you selected that account for its high co-occurrence with depression.
• Explain the role of stress hormones and inflammation in this depression related illness
• Explain at least three teaching strategies that might reduce the effects of the stress related-illness you select. 
• Explain the methods you might use to encourage the adoption these strategies to reduce the effects of the stress related-illness.