class 18: social support and negative social support
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Class 18:
Social Support and Negative Social Support
Prospective Studies on Social Support and Health
Which method is more reliable, prospective or retrospective. Why?
Prospective: 1. Not biased by recall.2. Causality more easily determined, because causes
"don't work backwards."
Our emotions, stress, and health diary study is: ____ Prospective ____ Retrospective
X
Prospective study: Research sample identified first, then outcomes measured.
SAMPLE: People lacking support - Outcome: Illness ratesRetrospective Study: Outcomes identified first, then characteristics of sample identified.
OUTCOME: Rates of Illness Interview sample, find out who got sick.
Community Based Studies, 1979-1984Alameda County: Men and women w/o support were 1.9 to 3.1 times more likely to die in 9 year follow up.
What was main cause of death?
___ Heart Disease ___ Stroke
___ Cancer___ Respiratory
___ Gastrointestinal
XXXXX
Problems with this study: Doesn't account for pre-study illness
N. Karelia, CA Study: Focuses only on CHD
Admits only patients with pre-existing CHD/CHD risks
Isolated men (not women) higher CHD mortality
12 Additional Studies Associate Social Isolation with Mortality
Emotional Isolation Pre-MI, Mortality Post Myocardial Infarction (MI)
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NoSupport
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Died in HospitalDied 6 mos. later
Social Support and Biomedical Model of Health
Social support challenges the bio-med model. Why?
“Over the last 150 years of medical research from Pasteur, Koch onward, research has proceeded successfully along lines of identifying one cause of one disease with the theory of disease specificity being one of the major advances in our thinking over the last century.”
Biomed model predicts 1 cause for illness, specific to illness. Social support indicates multiple, general causes for specific illness.
Social Support Affects Multiple Biological Mechanisms
Immune system functioning
Neuroendocrine functioning
Cardiovascular functioning
Maladies Related to Social Isolation
1. Pregnancy complications
2. Herpes outbreaks
3. Arthritis pain
4. Cancer
5. Diabetes mismanagement
6. Cardiac illness and recovery
7. Suppressed recovery from other illnesses
Social Support as Non-Specific Resistance
Stress: Non-specific health threat. Why?
Effects cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, emotional health.
Social Support: Non-specific resistance factor. Why?
Effects cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, emotional health.
Social Support and Resistance to Cold VirusCohen, et al., 1997
Healthy volunteers report degree of social support
Vols. Get nasal drops that contain cold virus
Outcome: Who gets more colds?
___ Low Social Support
___ High Social Support
X
Lending a Hand Coan, Shaefer, & Davidson, 2006
What's happening in this photo? Why?
Lending a Hand Coan, Shaefer, & Davidson, 2006
Thesis: Social contact helps people regulate disturbing emotion.
Method:
16 married women expected to receive painful shocks
Women placed in fMRI scanner with shock electrodes on ankle.
Women receive signal indicating shock/no shock will be delivered.
Fear measured at signal onset. This is repeated for 3 blocks of 12 trials.
During these trial blocks, women hold: 1) husband's hand 2) Experimenter's hand 3) no hand.
Lending a HandCoan, Shaefer, & Davidson, 2006
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No Hand StrangersHand
Spouses Hand1
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No Hand StrangersHand
Spouses Hand
Unpleasantness of Expected Shock
Phys. Arousal Due to Expected Shock
Effect of spousal hand holding on neural threat response was moderated by relationship quality: Closer relationships led to lower threat response, but only when holding husband's hand.
Social Support: Better to Give Or to Receive?
Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003
Social Support: Better to Give than to Receive?
Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003
Design: Prospective study conducted over five years.
Subjects—older couples, where husband is 65 + years old
Time 1 measures: a. Receive social supportb. Supply social supportc. Dependencyd. Age, gender, physical health, mental health, SES, personality.
Time 2 measure: Mortality.
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InstrumentalSupport
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Giving support
Effects of Giving Vs. Receiving Support on Mortality
Note: Anyone seemed "hurt" here by support delivery/receipt?
What's that about?
Summary of Social Support Benefits
1. General health promoter—effects all physio-systems
2. Reduces rates of illness
3. Reduces death rates (e.g., post MI)
4. Quicker recovery from major illness
5. Sustains life for people with terminal illness
However, people’s helping efforts can also fail. How so? What are ways in which people made it worse by trying to make it better?
“Recipe” for Negative Social Support: Husbands of Dieting Women
91% of men support wives’ attempts to lose weight.
Study observes behavior of husbands and dieting wives at dinner.Finds that husband, compared to wives, are:
Four times more likely to offer food.Seven times more likely to discuss foodRatio of criticism to praise: 12:1
Solution: Tell husband to just be uninvolved = Actively involve husband in dieting training
Why Would Social Support from Close Others "Go Bad"?
Continues over time
Requires higher level of commitment
Draws on past history
Social Support as an InteractionAction Actor's Intent Partner's Interpretation
1. Husb. wants to carry object To be helpful, show ability Husband is at risk.
2. Wife says "don't carry" To protect husband Wife is overreacting
3. Husb: "don't be worrier" I can do this, it's OK Feels dismissed, insulted
4. Wife: it's right to worry Sit. is serious, I have stake in your health
Feels manipulated, insulted
5. Husb. “I have a right to make my own choices"
Don't treat me like a child Feels misunderstood, under-appreciated.
6. Wife leaves in a huff You need to understand me. What happened?
Few minutes later, husband feels slight chest pain. What does he say to his wife?
Phases of Negative Social SupportCoyne, et al. 1988
Initial phase: high morale
Flagging morale
Re-definition of situation
Overwhelmed phase
Stalemate
Support Statement at Initial Phase
“I gave him repeated pep talks and assured him we were going to lick this awful thing that had ruined our lives”.
What is good about this statement?
What may be a problem with this statement?
Phase II: Flagging Morale Helper
Helper
1. Reassurance and support statements become forced, not sincere
2. Signs of worry, concern become more common
Recipient
1. Increased pressure to inhibit and fake.
2. No-win of inhibitiona. Blamed for not disclosingb. Blamed for complaining
Problem persists —helpers and copers become emotionally exhausted
Inability to fix problem --> threatened sense of control
Helpers want to take direct action to regain personal control
a. Advice giving: "Try harder", "Do more"b. Monitoring
Effects of helper's actionsa. Close monitoring undermines performanceb. Undermines intrinsic motivation to cope
Redefinition of Problem
Statement of Over-involvement
“When I tell you to lift your leg and stop dragging it, I am only doing it for your own benefit, because if you concentrate hard enough on lifting that leg you are physically able to do it”.
Wife's comments to her stroke-disabled husband.
What’s going on here?
1. Nature of illness: How acquired, duration, limitations
2. Nature of symptoms: Objective vs. Subjective
3. Orientation to situation: Motives (affection vs. guilt)Choice to be in helping roleHelpee’s responsibility for illness
4. Tasks that helper takes on:Clearly defined vs. ambiguous
5. Social network: Backup supporters vs. isolated
6. Relationship factorsDegree of affection pre-illnessQuality of communication pre-illness
Causes of Negative Social Support
1. Realistic expectations
2. Coordinate perspective of helper and helpee
3. Provide specific tips on how to help
4. Prepare both parties for possible set-backs
5. Describe miscarried helping
6. Inform helpers how own anxiety over-involvement
7. Urge both helper and helpee to focus on own, personal needs
How to Maintain Good Social Support?
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