PMID: 9535404Apr 16, 1998Paper

Relationship of social support to stress responses and immune function in healthy and asthmatic adolescents

Research in Nursing & Health
D H KangD O McCarthy

Abstract

Although most clinicians believe that social support has beneficial effects on health, the mechanisms mediating this relationship have not been clearly established. We examined the direct effect of social support on several immune measures and its role in moderating the response to academic exams in healthy and asthmatic adolescents. Three types of students--healthy, mild asthma, and severe asthma--completed social support and stress questionnaires and gave blood samples during the midsemester and final exam periods. Social support and natural killer cell (NK) function showed a significant reduction during exams in both healthy and asthmatic adolescents. Social support, however, did not have a direct effect on immune responses. Nevertheless, high social support appeared to attenuate the magnitude of exam-induced reduction in NK activity, suggesting a role for social support in protecting against immune decrements during times of stress.

Citations

Nov 25, 2000·The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·A Smith RogersC M Wilson
Sep 1, 2001·The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·B J RudyS D Douglas
Jul 15, 2004·Psychological Bulletin·Suzanne C Segerstrom, Gregory E Miller
Sep 13, 2007·Journal of Pediatric Psychology·Jack H NassauGregory K Fritz
Nov 26, 2010·Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America·Hannah M C SchreierEdith Chen
Jun 24, 2008·Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America·Edith Chen, Hannah M C Schreier
Jan 24, 2007·Research in Nursing & Health·Diane Von AhJanet S Carpenter
Dec 8, 2004·Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America·Gordon R Bloomberg, Edith Chen
Feb 13, 2001·Clinical and Experimental Allergy : Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology·S K Agarwal, G D Marshall
Feb 15, 2005·International Journal of Nursing Studies·Mo-Kyung SinMichael Weaver
Dec 18, 2001·Research in Nursing & Health·D H Kang, C Fox
Jun 22, 2010·Psychosomatic Medicine·Riyad KhanferJanet M Lord

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