Having the feeling that your partner does not support you in your daily life increases your stress level.
The feeling of being supported or not by one’s partner during the difficulties encountered influences the level of stress. Here are the findings of a study on couples conducted by a team from Binghamton University. It has, in fact, highlighted a link between cortisol, the stress hormone, and social support within the couple.
Stress and couple: lack of support increases cortisol levels
For this study published in the journal Journal of Social and Personal Relations, researchers brought together 191 married couples. Spouses participated in two 10-min sessions where they discussed personal problems unrelated to their marriage that they were experiencing. The researchers analyzed their exchanges to detect instances of positive and negative social support given and received. They assessed how participants perceived this support. Additionally, saliva samples were collected to assess cortisol levels.
“We found that women who received more negative support felt less understood, validated and cared for by their partner. This had a “stress amplifier” effect: cortisol thus increased during the interaction”explains psychology professor Richard Mattson. “Couples felt more understood, validated, and cared for when partners demonstrated positive support skills, and less when they demonstrated negative communications.”
Furthermore, the scientists noticed that the levels of biological stress before the session seemed to accurately predict the way in which the spouses would act and perceive the interactions.
Social support: understanding its effects to improve well-being
For the authors, their work shows how perceptions of supportive interactions shape the experience. “How each partner perceived the interaction was strongly associated with how supportive and responsive they thought the partner was more generally. One possibility is that perceptions of a partner’s support may develop over time and across multiple interactions And, the larger picture shapes how particular behaviors – good or bad – may be perceived in the moment.says Hayley Fivecoat, the lead author of the article in a communicated. She adds : “those who perceived themselves to have a supportive partner tended to have the lowest cortisol levels at baseline and after the interaction.”
Researchers believe that understanding how couples cope and support each other in stressful situations can offer valuable insights into relationship strengthening and overall well-being. They would then like to examine the different types of expression of support and their effects. They argue that the tone used during the exchange is more relevant than the content. Essentially, how you say it might matter more than what you say.
