Partner’s Perceived Social Support Influences Their Spouse’s Inflammation: An Actor–Partner Analysis

Social support has been linked to lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, most studies have examined perceived support as an intrapersonal construct. A dyadic approach to social support highlights how interdependence between individuals within relationships, including partner perceptions and interactions, can influence one’s health. This study’s overall purpose was to test actor–partner models linking perceived social support to inflammation. Ninety-four cisgender married couples completed perceived support measures and had their blood drawn for CRP and IL-6 to produce an overall inflammatory index. The primary results indicate that only a partner’s level of perceived support was related to lower inflammation in their spouse. Our sample size, although moderate for inflammatory studies, was probably not large enough to detect actor influences. These data highlight the importance of taking a dyadic perspective on modeling perceived support and its potential mechanism

Associations of ambivalent leadership with distress and cortisol secretion

Ambivalent social ties, i.e., whereby a relationship is evaluated simultaneously in positive and negative terms, are a potential source of distress and can perturb health-relevant biological functions. Social interactions at the workplace, in particular with supervisors, are often described in ambivalent terms, but the psychological and psychobiological impact of such interactions has received little scientific attention. The current study examined associations between ambivalent attitudes towards one's supervisor, perceived distress (general and work-related), and diurnal dynamics of the stress hormone cortisol. 613 employees evaluated their supervisor in terms of positive and negative behaviors, which was combined into an ambivalent index. Higher ambivalence was associated with higher perceived distress and work-related stress (p < .001), and with a larger cortisol awakening response and higher day-time secretion post-awakening (p < .01). The present study is the first to identify ambivalence towards supervisors as a predictor of employee distress and stress-related endocrine dysregulation. In consequence, focusing solely on positive or negative leader behavior may insufficiently capture the true complexity of workplace interactions and attempts to compensate negative behaviors with positive are unlikely to reduce distress-but quite the opposite-by increasing ambivalence

Trait hostility is associated with systemic inflammation in married couples: An actor-partner analysis

Trait anger and hostility predict the development of coronary heart disease, and systemic inflammation may partly mediate this association. In a sample of 94 middle-aged and older married couples, we replicate research showing a within individuals (i.e., actor effect) association of trait hostility with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). As a novel extension of that research, the present study also examined the association of individuals’ trait hostility with their partners’ hsCRP (i.e., partner effect). Controlling for potential confounds, trait hostility, measured with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, was significantly associated with both participants’ own hsCRP, b = .0528 (SE = .0196), p = .008 and their partners’ levels b = .0473 (SE = .0194), p = .016. Hence, the inflammatory correlates of trait hostility occur not only within individuals but between them, as well. The effects of unhealthy personality traits may extend to intimate partners and possibly other social network members

Self-Rated Health and Inflammation: A Test of Depression and Sleep Quality as Mediators

Objective: Despite its simplicity, single-item measures of self-rated health have been associated with mortality independent of objective health conditions. However, little is known about the mechanisms potentially responsible for such associations. This study tested the association between self-rated heath and inflammatory markers as biological pathways, and whether sleep quality and/or depression statistically mediated such links. Method: Eighty-six heterosexual married couples completed a standard measure of self-rated health, the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants also had blood drawn for determination of plasma levels of interleukin 6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The Monte Carlo method was used to construct confidence intervals for mediation analyses. Results: Results indicated that poor self-rated health was associated with higher CRP levels (B = .31, SE = .14, p = .028). Importantly, the Monte Carlo mediational analyses showed that these results were statistically mediated by sleep quality (aXb = 0.10, 95% confidence interval = 0.003 to 0.217) but not depressive symptoms (aXb = 0.03, 95% confidence interval = −0.03 to 0.10). Conclusions: These results highlight the biological and behavioral mechanisms potentially linking self-rated health to longer-term health outcomes. Such work can inform basic theory in the area as well as intervention approaches that target such pathways

Sleep Quality and Inflammation in Married Heterosexual Couples: an Actor-Partner Analysis

Background Subjective sleep quality is a predictor of important health outcomes, but little work has examined the social context of sleep that might inform theoretical models and intervention approaches. The present study tested actor-partner models of sleep quality and its links to inflammatory markers. Method Participants were 84 middle-age to older adult heterosexual married couples who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and had blood drawn for determination of CRP and IL-6 levels. Results Main results indicated that only actor levels of poor global sleep quality predicted higher CRP levels. No actor × partner or gender × actor/partner interactions were significant. These results were also not moderated by relationship quality. Secondary analyses, focused on the different components of sleep quality, revealed marginally significant evidence for partner’s poor sleep (i.e., sleep disturbances, sleep latency) on one’s own inflammatory outcomes. Conclusion These results suggest the promise of modeling sleep quality as a dyadic process that can impact inflammation and potentially related health outcomes