Chronic exposure to psychosocial stress – for example, poverty or other disadvantage – leads to prolonged strain on the body. This weathering can make us physically ill before our time and prematurely age us.

So what is psychosocial stress, how does it harm our health and what can be done about it?

To discuss, our chief executive Dr Jennifer Dixon is joined by: 

Dr Michelle Kelly-Irving, a life course epidemiologist working on health inequalities and the social determinants of health. Michelle is a director at Inserm in Toulouse, part of France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

Professor Nish Chaturvedi, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at University College London and Director of the Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing.

Show notes