Saturday, December 18, 2004

Social support and well-being

Two simple facts, with ample researched evidence to support them, point to the physical and psychological health benefits of close and supportive relationships with friends and family:

1. When people have close, supportive relationships there is less risk of illness or premature death.
2. People with stable intimate attachments with friends and family report greater happiness than those who do not.

In the former case, it has been observed that social support correlates with better cardiovascular and immune systems. Further, the mere act of confiding trauma or personal issues allows for a reduction in tension. In other cases, not confiding early traumatic experiences resulted in more headaches, stomach ailments, and other health problems.

As regards the case for happiness, it would seem that the culture of individualism so prevalent in traditionally Western cultures is often an obstacle. Individualism allows for independence and personal achievement, but on the downside it often isolates and prevents people from building close supportive networks. The conclusions of research is unequivocal however: on average people who are attached are happier than people who are unattached. No category of marital status reports more life satisfaction than married people.

The reason why marriage improves happiness appears to be twofold - it offers a dependable partner, intimacy, and support, and prevents loneliness; and it allows for role diversification - spouse, parent, career person - each can provide relief from the other, and when things go wrong at work, the family roles can still be in good state for instance.

Somehow these findings surprise me. I don't know why exactly they do - I mean it's great. It's just - it seems too simple. Is that it? It's that simple? Oi ::scratches head::

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