Positive and Negative Social Support and HPA-axis Hyperactivity: Evidence from Glucocorticoids in Human Hair

Social support can be defined as the social resources perceived by individuals to be available to them as well as those that are actually provided in the context of helping relationships (Gottlieb and Bergen, 2010). There is convincing evidence that social support is a crucial factor in the maintenance of health and an essential component of human wellbeing (Cohen et al., 2000; Uchino, 2006). Several prospective studies have demonstrated how both functional and structural aspects of social support can affect morbidity and mortality from a wide range of diseases (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research