Through what biological systems does social support have an impact?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Uchino (2006) outlines a number of biological pathways through which social support may achieve its positive effects including through the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. For example, social support may buffer the effects of stress on cardiovascular reactivity. Uchino (2006) notes that higher levels of social support are associated with lower everyday blood pressure levels, less cardiovascular disease, and a slower disease progression for patients who are already suffering from cardiovascular disease. In addition, recent neuroendocrine studies have found that salivary cortisol levels are lower when social support is high (Heinrichs, Baumgartner, Kirschbaum, & Ehlert, 2003; Milagros, King, Ma, & Reed, 2004). The strongest evidence for biological pathways, however, is a positive link between the immune system and social support (see Graham et al., 2007; Uchino et al., 1996). In particular, it seems to dampen the immune system's inflammatory responses to stress. For example, several studies have found that higher social support is associated with lower levels of the cytokine and inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (Costanzo et al., 2005; Friedman et al., 2005, Lutgendorf , Anderson, Sorosky, Buller, & Lubaroff, 2000). As you recall, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.