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      Social and emotional support and its implication for health :

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      Current Opinion in Psychiatry
      Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)

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          Abstract

          Recent research findings from selected publications focusing on links between social support and physical health are summarized. Current research is extending our understanding of the influences of social support on health. Many epidemiological studies have concentrated on further linking measures of social support to physical health outcomes. A few studies are now moving into newer areas, such as emphasizing health links with support receipt and provision. Researchers are also interested in outlining relevant pathways, including potential biological (i.e. inflammation) and behavioral (i.e. health behaviors) mechanisms. Interventions attempting to apply basic research on the positive effects of social support are also widespread. Although the longer term effects of such interventions on physical health remain to be determined, such interventions show promise in influencing the quality of life in many chronic disease populations. Recent findings often show a robust relationship in which social and emotional support from others can be protective for health. The next generation of studies must explain, however, why this relationship exists and the specificity of such links. This research is in its infancy but will be crucial in order to better tailor support interventions that can impact on physical health outcomes.

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          Most cited references28

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          Providing Social Support May Be More Beneficial Than Receiving It

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            Psychosocial stress increases inflammatory markers and alters cytokine production across pregnancy.

            Previous work has shown that psychosocial stress is related to increases in serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines late in pregnancy, and a growing body of research suggests that increased inflammatory activity during pregnancy, generally, may have a negative impact on outcome. The present study further addressed these issues by assessing relationships between psychosocial stress, social support and serum cytokines in early, mid, and late pregnancy, and the effects of stress and social support on the production of cytokines by stimulated lymphocytes in late pregnancy. In addition, we examined relationships between stress, support, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) during pregnancy. Elevated stress was not only related to higher serum IL-6 late in pregnancy as in our prior work, but this relationship was also evident during early pregnancy and elevated stress was also associated with lower IL-10 in early pregnancy. No relationships between stress and cytokines were apparent during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Elevated stress during the 2nd trimesters and low social support during the 3rd trimester were related to increased serum levels of CRP, further suggesting that psychosocial factors can contribute increased inflammation during pregnancy. Importantly, elevated stress levels across pregnancy were predictive of elevated production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1B and IL-6 by stimulated lymphocytes in the 3rd trimester, suggesting that stress during pregnancy affects the function of immune system cells. These findings further support the notion that prenatal stress alters maternal physiology and immune function in a manner consistent with increased risk of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and premature labor.
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              What do cancer support groups provide which other supportive relationships do not? The experience of peer support groups for people with cancer.

              This qualitative study examined the questions of what cancer support groups provide that other supportive relationships do not, and what the self perceived consequences are of support group attendance. Nine representative Australian cancer peer support groups, consisting of a total of 93 interviewees, 75 women, and 18 men, with a mean age of 62, took part in participant observation and focus group interviews, with the data analysed using positioning theory. Support groups were positioned by participants as providing a unique sense of community, unconditional acceptance, and information about cancer and its treatment, in contrast to the isolation, rejection, and lack of knowledge about cancer frequently experienced outside the group. Groups were also positioned as occasionally emotionally challenging, in contrast to the experience of normalising support from family and friends. Increased empowerment and agency were positioned as the most significant consequences of group support, consisting of increased confidence and a sense of control in relation to self, living with cancer, and interactions with others, in particular the medical profession. The support group was also positioned as facilitating positive relationships with family and friends because of relieving their burden of care, by providing a safe space for the expression of emotion. No difference was found between professionally led and peer led support groups, suggesting that it is not the professional background of the leader which is of importance, but whether the group provides a supportive environment, mutuality, and a sense of belonging, and whether it meets the perceived needs of those attending. It is suggested that future research should examine the construction and experience of social support in those who drop out of, or who do not attend, cancer support groups, in order to provide further insight into the contrast between social support within groups and support in other contexts.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Current Opinion in Psychiatry
                Current Opinion in Psychiatry
                Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
                0951-7367
                2008
                March 2008
                : 21
                : 2
                : 201-205
                Article
                10.1097/YCO.0b013e3282f3ad89
                2729718
                18332671
                6af0d292-2e80-4609-bc50-4f56e68c514d
                © 2008
                History

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