Couples? stress reactivity and recovery - Psychobiology and support mechanisms in light of health and disease outcomes

Social integration and marriage are important factors as regards health and disease outcomes (e.g. Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000; Cohen, 1988; Fone, Dunstan, Lloyd, Williams et al., 2007; Kaplan & Kronick, 2006; Orth-Gomer & Johnson, 1987). Social support is one mechanism by which social integration, and happy marriage in particular, was hypothesized to increase individual health. But despite the flourishing research in this area, few specific supportive interactions have been found to actually increase individual well- being and health, and some researchers have failed to show any beneficial effect of received support (Bolger, Zuckerman, & Kessler, 2000; Coyne & Bolger, 1990; Frazier, Tix, & Barnett, 2003). High social support was even found to decrease physical well-being under certain circumstances (Cohen & Hoberman, 1983). The effect of social support on health outcomes has been shown to be mediated by biological processes (Uchino, 2006), which have been investigated especially in stress situations. An adaptive response to acute stress is reflected in an increase and a subsequent decrease of biological stress indicators, which are central to maintaining the body's homeostasis (McEwen, 1998b). Maladaptation of the body's stress systems has been found to be predictive of various psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders (for an overview, see Heinrichs & Gaab, 2007; and Thayer & Sternberg, 2006).