99 research outputs found
Effects of couple interactions and relationship quality on plasma oxytocin and cardiovascular reactivity: Empirical findings and methodological considerations
Cardiovascular reactivity is a potential mechanism underlying associations of close relationship quality with cardiovascular disease. Two models describe oxytocin as another mechanism. The âcalm and connectâ model posits an association between positive relationship experiences and oxytocin levels and responses, whereas the âtend and befriendâ model emphasizes the effects of negative relationship experiences in evoking oxytocin release. In this study of 180 younger couples, relationship quality had a small, marginally significant inverse association with plasma oxytocin levels, and neither positive nor negative couple interactions evoked change in plasma oxytocin. Negative couple interactions evoked significant cardiovascular reactivity, especially among women. Hence, in the largest study of these issues to date, there was little support for key tenets of the âcalm and connectâ model, and only very modest support for the âtend and befriendâ model. However, findings were consistent with the view that CVR contributes to the effects of relationship difficulties on health
Viewing Loved Faces Inhibits Defense Reactions: A Health-Promotion Mechanism?
We have known for decades that social support is associated with positive health outcomes. And yet, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. The link between social support and positive health outcomes is likely to depend on the neurophysiological regulatory mechanisms underlying reward and defensive reactions. The present study examines the hypothesis that emotional social support (love) provides safety cues that activate the appetitive reward system and simultaneously inhibit defense reactions. Using the startle probe paradigm, 54 undergraduate students (24 men) viewed black and white photographs of loved (romantic partner, father, mother, and best friend), neutral (unknown), and unpleasant (mutilated) faces. Eyeâblink startle, zygomatic major activity, heart rate, and skin conductance responses to the faces, together with subjective ratings of valence, arousal, and dominance, were obtained. Viewing loved faces induced a marked inhibition of the eye-blink startle response accompanied by a pattern of zygomatic, heart rate, skin conductance, and subjective changes indicative of an intense positive emotional response. Effects were similar for men and women, but the startle inhibition and the zygomatic response were larger in female participants. A comparison between the faces of the romantic partner and the parent who shares the partnerâs gender further suggests that this effect is not attributable to familiarity or arousal. We conclude that this inhibitory capacity may contribute to the health benefits associated with social support.This research was funded by grant P07-SEJ-02964 from Junta de AndalucĂa (Spain)
A cross-sectional study on quality of life among the elderly in non-governmental organizationsâ elderly homes in Kuala Lumpur
Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies
Given the powerful implications of relationship quality for health and well-being, a central mission of relationship science is explaining why some romantic relationships thrive more than others. This large-scale project used machine learning (i.e., Random Forests) to 1) quantify the extent to which relationship quality is predictable and 2) identify which constructs reliably predict relationship quality. Across 43 dyadic longitudinal datasets from 29 laboratories, the top relationship-specific predictors of relationship quality were perceived-partner commitment, appreciation, sexual satisfaction, perceived-partner satisfaction, and conflict. The top individual-difference predictors were life satisfaction, negative affect, depression, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety. Overall, relationship-specific variables predicted up to 45% of variance at baseline, and up to 18% of variance at the end of each study. Individual differences also performed well (21% and 12%, respectively). Actor-reported variables (i.e., own relationship-specific and individual-difference variables) predicted two to four times more variance than partner-reported variables (i.e., the partnerâs ratings on those variables). Importantly, individual differences and partner reports had no predictive effects beyond actor-reported relationship-specific variables alone. These findings imply that the sum of all individual differences and partner experiences exert their influence on relationship quality via a personâs own relationship-specific experiences, and effects due to moderation by individual differences and moderation by partner-reports may be quite small. Finally, relationship-quality change (i.e., increases or decreases in relationship quality over the course of a study) was largely unpredictable from any combination of self-report variables. This collective effort should guide future models of relationships
Profiling the mental health of diabetic patients: a cross-sectional survey of Zimbabwean patients
Objective
The burden of diabetes mellitus has exponentially increased in low resource settings. Patients with diabetes are more likely to exhibit poor mental health which negatively affects treatment outcomes. However, patients with high levels of social support (SS) are likely to report optimal mental health. We sought to determine how SS affects the report of psychiatric morbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 108 diabetic patients in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Results
The average age of participants was 54.1 (SD 18.6) years. Most of the participants were; females (69.4%), married (51.9%), and were of low level of income (43.5%). 37.1% of the participants exhibited signs of psychiatric morbidity [mean Shona Symptoms Questionnaire scoreâ6.7 (SD 3.2)]. Further, patients also reported lower HRQoL [mean EQ-5D-VAS scoreâ64.1 (SD 15.3)] and high levels of SS [mean Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scoreâ43.7 (SD 11.5)]. Patients who received greater amount of SS had optimal mental health. Being female, unmarried, lower education attainment, having more comorbid conditions, being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and having been diagnosed of diabetes for a longer duration were associated with poorer mental health. It is important to develop context-specific interventions to improve diabetic patientsâ mental health
The buffering effect of tangible social support on financial stress: influence on psychological well-being and psychosomatic symptoms in a large sample of the adult general population
Associations between social support, mental wellbeing, self-efficacy and technology use in first-time antenatal women: data from the BaBBLeS cohort study
Background: Information and communication technologies are used increasingly to facilitate social networks and support women during the perinatal period. This paper presents data on how technology use affects the association between womenâs social support and, (i) mental wellbeing and, (ii) self-efficacy in the antenatal period. Methods: Data were collected as part of an ongoing study - the BaBBLeS study - exploring the effect of a pregnancy and maternity software application (app) on maternal wellbeing and self-efficacy. Between September 2016 and February 2017, we aimed to recruit first-time pregnant women at 12â16 gestation weeks in five maternity sites across England and asked them to complete questionnaires. Outcomes included maternal mental wellbeing (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), and antenatal self-efficacy (antenatal version of the Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy). Other variables assessed were perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), general technology use (adapted from Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale). Potential confounders were age, ethnicity, education, socioeconomic deprivation, employment, relationship status and recruitment site. Linear regression models were developed to analyse the relationship between social support and the outcomes. Results: Participants (n =â492, median ageâ=â28 years) were predominantly white British (64.6%). Half of them had a degree or higher degree (49.3%), most were married/living with a partner (83.6%) and employed (86.2%). Median (LQ-UQ) overall scores were 81.0 (74.0â84.0) for social support (range 12â84), 5.1 (4.7â5.4) for technology use (range 1â6), 54.0 (48.0â60.0) for mental well-being (range 14â70), and 319.0 (295.5â340) for self-efficacy (range 0â360). Social support was significantly associated with antenatal mental well-being adjusting for confounders [adj R2 =â0.13, p <â.001]. The addition of technology use did not alter this model [adj R2 =â0.13, p <â.001]. Social support was also significantly associated with self-efficacy after adjustment [adj R2 =â0.14, p <â.001]; technology had limited impact on this association [adj R2 =â0.13, p <â.001]. Conclusions: Social support is associated with mental well-being and self-efficacy in antenatal first-time mothers. This association was not significantly affected by general technology use as measured in our survey. Future work should investigate whether pregnancy-specific technologies yield greater potential to enhance the perceived social support, wellbeing and self-efficacy of antenatal women
Testing the Affiliation Hypothesis of Homoerotic Motivation in Humans: The Effects of Progesterone and Priming
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