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Originalia

Psychobiologische Mechanismen sozialer Unterstützung

Ein Überblick

Published Online:November 15, 2007https://doi.org/10.1026/0943-8149.15.4.143

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Epidemiologische Studien können eindrucksvoll nachweisen, dass Personen, die in stabile soziale Netzwerke eingebunden sind, zufriedener, gesünder und auch länger leben als sozial isolierte Personen. Einerseits wird vermutet, dass dieser gesundheitsfördernde Effekt sozialer Unterstützung durch Verhaltensänderungen vermittelt wird, welche auf nahestehende Personen zurückführbar sind. Auf der anderen Seite wird ein direkter protektiver Effekt sozialer Unterstützung auf die körperliche Stressreaktivität angenommen, der unterschiedliche salutogenetische Wirkungen haben könnte. Die möglichen vermittelnden biologischen Mechanismen dieses Effekts werden zunehmend in Labor- und Feldstudien untersucht. In diesem Artikel geben wir einen Überblick über die Ergebnisse psychobiologischer Untersuchungen zu den Einflüssen sozialer Unterstützung auf der Ebene des Herz-Kreislauf-Systems, des endokrinen Systems und des Immunsystems. Abschließend gehen wir auf erste Studien ein, in denen die zentralnervösen Mechanismen sozialer Unterstützung experimentell untersucht wurden, und fassen die Ergebnisse in einem Modell zusammen.


Psychobiological mechanisms of social support: A review

Abstract. Results from epidemiological research clearly suggest that stable social networks can increase well-being, health, and longevity in humans. This effect is assumed to be mediated through changed health behavior motivated by close others. Furthermore, results from recent laboratory and field studies indicate that social support directly reduces psychobiological stress responses and thereby improves health. Here, we present results from such studies investigating the effects of social support on cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune parameters in humans. Finally, we discuss more recent studies focusing on the mechanisms mediating social support and stress responses in the central nervous system, and summarize these results in a graphical model.

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