Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to consider the conceptual and methodological issues of current importance in the study of social support, especially as they pertain to the study of cardiovascular diseases. A main goal of the chapter is to provide the reader with a broad perspective on the usefulness of social support in the study of psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The life-span developmental nature of psychosocial relationships generally, and social support specifically, is emphasized. Although the data are generally suggestive of important links between social support and cardiovascular disease, the limited number of studies militate against drawing firm conclusions about the role of social support as either a predictor of cardiovascular disease onset or a modifier of the severity of such disease. The final goal of this chapter is to present a framework for future studies of the relationship between social support and cardiovascular disease. Ideally, future research should be designed to capitalize on both the life-span nature of psychosocial relationships and the developmental nature of the progression of the various cardiovascular diseases.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ainsworth, M.D.S., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Antonucci, T. C. (1976). Attachment: A life-span concept. Human Development, (19)(3), 135–142.
Antonucci, T. C. (1985). Personal characteristics, social networks and social behavior. In R. H. Binstock & E. Shanas (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (2nd ed., pp. 94–128). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Antonucci, T. C. & Jackson, J. S. (1987). Social support, interpersonal efficacy, and health. In L. Carstensen & B. A. Edelstein (Eds.), Handbook of clinical gerontology (pp. 291–311). New York: Pergamon.
Antonucci, T. C, Kahn, R. L., & Akiyama, H. (1989). Psychosocial factors and the response to cancer symptoms. In R. Yancik & J. Yates (Eds.), Cancer in the elderly: Approaches to early detection and treatment (pp. 40–52). New York: Springer.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and actions. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Berkman, L. F. (1985). The relationship of social networks and social support to morbidity and mortality. In S. Cohen & S. L. Syme (Eds.), Social support and health (pp. 241–252). New York: Academic Press.
Berkman, L. F., Leo-Summers, L., & Horwitz, R. I. (1992). Emotional support and survival after myocardial infarction. Annals of Internal Medicine, 117, 1003–1009.
Berkman, L. F., & Syme, S. L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 109(2), 186–204.
Blazer, D. G. (1982). Social support and mortality in an elderly population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 115, 684–694.
Blumenthal, J. A., Burg, M. M., Barefoot, J., Williams, R. B., Haney, T., & Zimet, G. (1987). Social support, Type A behavior and coronary artery disease. Psychosomatic Medicine, 49, 331–339.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, vol. 1: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Case, R. B., Moss, A. J., Case, N., McDermott, ML, & Eberly, S. (1992). Living alone after myocardial infarction: Impact on prognosis. Journal of the American Medical Association, 267, 515–519.
Cassel, J. (1976). The contribution of the social environment to host resistance. American Journal of Epidemiology, 104(3), 253–286.
Chesney, M. A., & Rosenman, R. H. (1985). Anger and hostility in cardiovascular and behavioral disorders. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 38, 300–314.
Cohen, S. (1988). Psychosocial models of the role of social support in the etiology of physical disease. Health Psychology, 7(3), 269–297.
Cohen, S., & Mathews, S. (1987). Social support, Type A behavior, and coronary artery disease, Psychosomatic Medicine, 49, 325–330.
Cohen, S., & Syme, S. L. (Eds.). (1985). Social support and health. New York: Academic Press.
Davidson, D., & Shumaker, S. (1987). Workshop summary: Social support and cardiovascular disease. Arteriosclerosis, 7, 101–104.
Diamond, E. L. (1982). The role of anger and hostility in essential hypertension and coronary heart disease. Psychological Bulletin, 92, 410–433.
Ewart, C. K. (1992). Role of physical self-efficacy in recovery from heart attach. In R. S. Schwarzer (Ed.), Self-efficacy: Thought control of actions. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
Fiebach, N. H., Viscoli, C. M., Horwitz, R. I. (1990). Differences between women and men in survival after myocardial infarction: Biology or methodology? Journal of the American Medical Association, 263, 1092–1096.
Haynes, S. G., Feinleib, M., & Kannel, W. B. (1980). The relationship of psychosocial factors to coronary heart disease in the Framingham Study: Eight year incidence of coronary heart disease. American Journal of Epidemiology, 111, 37–58.
Heitzmann, C. A., & Kaplan, R. M. (1988). Assessment of methods for measuring social support. Health Psychology, 7(1), 75–109.
Hirsch, B. (1980). Natural support systems and coping with major life changes. American Journal of Community Psychology, 8, 159–172.
House, J. S., Landis, K. R., & Umberson, D. (1988). Social relationships and health. Science, 241, 540–544.
House, J. S., Robbins, C, & Metzner, H. C. (1982). The association of social relationships and activities with mortality: Perspective evidence from the Tecumseh community health study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 116(1), 123–140.
House, J. S., Umberson, D, & Landis, K. R. (1988). Structures and processes of social support. Annual Review of Sociology, 14, 293–318.
Ingersoll-Dayton, B., & Antonucci, T. C. (1988). Non-reciprocal social support: Another side of intimate relationships. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 43(3), 65–73.
Israel, B. A. (1982). Social networks and health status: Linking theory, research and practice. Patient Counseling and Health Education, 4(2), 65–79.
Jackson, J. S., & Antonucci, T. C. (in press). Survey methodology in life-span human development research. In S. H. Cohen & H. W. Reese (Eds.), Life-span developmental psychology: Methodological innovations (pp. 1-52). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Johnson, E.H. (1987). Behavioral factors associated with hypertension in black Americans. In S. Julius & D. R. Bassett (Eds.), Handbook of Hypertension, vol. 9: Behavioral factors in hypertension (pp. 181–197). Amsterdam: Elsevier Sciences.
Johnson, E. H., & Broman, C. L. (1987). The relationship of anger expression to health problems among black Americans in a national survey. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 10(2), 103–116.
Johnson, E. H., & Julius, S. (1990). Is there a hypertensive coronary-prone personality? In F. Buhler & J. Farosh (Eds.), Handbook of Hypertension, vol. 10: Management of hypertension (pp. 33–41). Amsterdam: Elsevier Sciences.
Joseph, J. (1980). Social affiliation, risk factor status, and coronary heart disease: A cross sectional study of Japanese-American men. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
Julius, S., & Johnson, E. H. (1985). Stress, autonomic hyperactivity, and essential hypertension: An enigma. Journal of Hypertension, 3, 11–17.
Kahn, R. L., & Antonucci, T. C. (1980). Convoys over the lifecourse: Attachment, roles, and social support. In P. B. Baltes & Q. Brim (Eds.), Life-span development and behavior, vol. 3 (pp. 253–286). New York: Academic Press.
Lerner, R., & Ryff, C. (1978). Implementation of the life-span view of human development: The sample case of attachment. In P. B. Baltes (Ed.), Life-span development and behavior, vol. 1 (pp. 1–43). New York: Plenum Press.
Levitt, M. J. (1991). Attachment and close relationships: A life span perspective. In J. L. Gewirtz & W. F. Kurtines (Eds.), Intersections with attachment (pp. 183–205). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lewis, M., & Goldberg, S. (1969). Perceptual-cognitive development in infancy: A generalized expectancy model as a function of mother-infant interaction. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 15, 81–100.
Litwak, E. (1985). Helping the elderly. New York: Guilford.
Matthews, K. (1982). Psychological perspectives on the Type A behavior pattern. Psychology Bulletin, 91, 293–323.
Medalie, J. H., & Goldbourt, U. (1976). Angina pectoris among 10,000 men: Psychosocial and other factors as evidenced by a multivariate analysis of a 5 year incidence study. American Journal of Medicine, 60, 910–921.
Norbeck, J. S., & Tilden, V. (1981). Life stress, social support, and emotional equilibrium in complications of pregnancy: A prospective multivariate study. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 30–46.
Nuckolls, K. B., Cassel, J., & Kaplan, B. H. (1972). Psychosocial assets, life crisis and the prognosis of pregnancy. American Journal of Epidemiology, 95, 431–441.
Orth-Gomér, K., & Johnson, J. V. (1987). Social network interaction and mortality: A six year follow-up study of a random sample of the Swedish population. Journal of Chronic Disease, 40(10), 949–957.
Parkes, C. M., & Stevenson-Hinde, J. (1982). The place of attachment in human behavior. New York: Basic Books.
Parkes, C. M., Stevenson-Hinde, J., & Marris, P. (Eds.). (1991). Attachment across the life cycle, New York: Routledge.
Pearlin, L. I. (1985). Social structure and processes of social support. In S. Cohen & S. L. Syme (Eds.), Social Support and Health (pp. 13–60). New York: Academic Press.
Reed, D., McGee, D., Yano, K., & Feinleib, M. (1983). Social networks and coronary heart disease among Japanese men in Hawaii. American Journal of Epidemiology, 117, 384–396.
Reed, D., McGee, D., & Yano, K. (1984). Psychosocial processes and general susceptibility to chronic disease. American Journal of Epidemiology, 119, 356–370.
Rook, K. S. (1984). The negative side of social interaction: Impact on psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 1097–1108.
Rosenman, R. H. (1987). Type A behavior and hypertension. In S. Julius & D. R. Bassett (Eds.), Handbook of hypertension, vol. 9: Behavioral factors in hypertension (pp. 141–149). Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.
Ruberman, W. (1992). Psychosocial influences on mortality of patients with coronary heart disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 267, 559–560.
Ruberman, W., Weinblatt, E., Goldberg, J. D., & Chaudhary, B. S. (1984). Psychosocial influences on mortality after myocardial infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, 311, 552–559.
Sarason, B. R., Sarason, I. G., & Pierce, G. R. (Eds.). (1990). Social support: An interactional view. New York: John Wiley.
Sauer, W. J., & Coward, R. T. (Eds.). (1985). Social support networks and care of the elderly. New York: Springer.
Schoenbach, V J., Kaplan, B. H., Freman, L., & Kleinbaum, D. G. (1986). Social ties and mortality in Evans County, Georgia. American Journal of Epidemiology, 123, 577–591.
Seeman, T. E., & Syme, S. L. (1987). Social networks and coronary artery disease: A comparison of the structure and function of social relations as predictors of disease. Psychosomatic Medicine, 49, 340–353.
Shumaker, S. A., & Brownell, A. (1984). Toward a theory of social support: Closing conceptual gaps. Journal of Social Issues, 40, 11–36.
Sosa, R., Kennel, J., & Klaus, M. (1980). The effect of a supportive companion on perinatal problems, length of labor, and mother-infant interactions. New England Journal of Medicine, 305, 597–600.
Wenger, N. K. (1990). Gender, coronary artery disease, and coronary bypass surgery. Annals of Internal Medicine, 112, 557–558.
Whittaker, J. K., & Garbarino, J. (1983). Social support networks: Informal helping in the human services. New York: Aldine.
Williams, R. B., Barefoot, J. C., Califf, R. M. (1992). Prognostic importance of social and economic resources among medically treated patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 267, 520–524.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Antonucci, T.C., Johnson, E.H. (1994). Conceptualization and Methods in Social Support Theory and Research as Related to Cardiovascular Disease. In: Shumaker, S.A., Czajkowski, S.M. (eds) Social Support and Cardiovascular Disease. The Springer Series in Behavioral Psychophysiology and Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2572-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2572-5_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-2574-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-2572-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive