Social support, social participation, and cardiovascular reactivity to stress in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study

Ann-Marie Creaven,Niamh M Higgins,Annie T Ginty,Stephen Gallagher

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107921

Ann-Marie Creaven, Niamh M Higgins + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107921

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Abstract

This study tested two hypotheses of associations between dimensions of social connectedness and cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress: (1) high social support predicts diminished cardiovascular responses to stress (i.e., the stress-buffering model of social support), and (2) diminished cardiovascular responses predict lower social participation, a form of motivated behaviour. Participants (N = 606) in the main Midlife in the United States study completed measures of social support and social participation and underwent psychophysiological stress testing. In unadjusted analyses, social support was positively, rather than inversely, associated with reactivity. Results withstood adjustment for several control variables, but not for depressive symptoms, which was associated with diminished reactivity. Further, diminished reactivity was associated with lower social participation, but not in fully adjusted models. No robust evidence was observed for either the stress-buffering model, or for an association between diminished reactivity and lower social participation. The implications for our understanding of links between social connectedness and cardiovascular reactivity are discussed.

Highlights

It is well-established that social connectedness has im plications for health across the lifespan
No studies have attempted to compare the social sup port-reactivity hypothesis with the more recent work examining the negative consequences of diminished cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) (i.e., John-Henderson et al (2019) suggesting that lower CVR predicts low social participation, a dimension of social connectedness), within the same sample
Social support and social participation measures in Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) 2 and MIDUS 3 were positively inter-correlated, and each was inversely correlated with depressive symptoms

Summary

Introduction

It is well-established that social connectedness has im plications for health across the lifespan. Social connectedness reflects the extent to which one has meaningful, close, and constructive re lationships with others (i.e., individuals, groups, and society) (O’Rourke & Sidani, 2017). This may include subjective perceptions of social re lationships (e.g., relationship quality), as well objective or structural measures (e.g., volunteering; church attendance). Studies found that associations were salient for cardiovascular disease mortality, relative to other causes (Kawachi et al, 1996), leading to a focus on relevant biomarkers in cluding cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). Reactivity to psychological stress may in volve a degree of cardiovascular responding beyond that which is me tabolically necessary, with consequences for the development of car diovascular disease (Carroll, Phillips, & Balanos, 2009; Obrist, 1981). Identifying social connectedness factors that “buffer” individuals from exaggerated CVR has been a focus of substantial research

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