ABSTRACT
We examined the utility of a broad framework that separated positive, negative, and ambivalent social network members. One hundred thirty-three young and older participants completed the social relationships index, measures of mental health, and a cardiovascular reactivity protocol. Results replicated prior research on the beneficial influence of positive (supportive) ties on psychological outcomes. More important, analyses also revealed that the number of ambivalent network ties predicted age-related differences in depression and sympathetic control of heart rate reactivity during stress. The statistical interactions between age and ambivalent ties on cardiovascular responses during stress were not changed when statistically controlling for other social network categories, demographic variables, and various personality factors. These data suggest that social network ambivalence was a relatively unique predictor of cardiovascular reactivity and highlight the utility of separating the variance due to positive, negative, and ambivalent network ties. Implications for the study of social relationships, physiological processes, and health outcomes are also discussed.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Heart Rate/physiology , Hypertension/diagnosis , Social Support , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Stroke Volume/physiology , Acute Disease , Adult , Affect , Age Factors , Aged , Anxiety/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Female , Forecasting , Humans , Hypertension/epidemiology , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Middle Aged , Personal Satisfaction , Quality of Life , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
We examined potential age and gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity during acute psychosocial stress in 133 normotensive participants using a cross-sectional design. Results revealed that age predicted increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity during stress (p < .001). The greater SBP reactivity found in older individuals appeared due to an age-associated increase in both cardiac output and total peripheral resistance during stress as statistically controlling for these changes rendered the age and SBP reactivity effect nonsignificant. Similar analyses revealed that the age-related increase in cardiac output reactivity appeared to be driven by increased cardiac sympathetic control of myocardial contractility as measured by pre-ejection period. Older individuals also had greater vagal withdrawal during stress compared to younger individuals as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (p < .01). These results were comparable for men and women, and could not be explained by task-specific affective responses, task performance, or demographic factors. Implications for the study of age, cardiovascular reactivity, and health are discussed.
