Psychological pathways linking social support to health outcomes: a visit with the "ghosts" of research past, present, and future.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of literature without systematic meta-analysis
PubMed 22326104 · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11.023
What was done
The authors reviewed literature published between the 1980s and 2010 evaluating studies that directly tested proposed psychological mechanisms (e.g., depression, perceived stress, and affective processes) linking perceived and received social support to health-relevant physiological processes.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative figures. Contrary to existing models, the review found no evidence that psychological mechanisms directly account for the links between social support and physiological health outcomes.
Why it matters
This paper challenges common theoretical assumptions that psychological factors are the primary mechanisms mediating the health benefits of social support.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review without reporting search parameters, study inclusion numbers, or specific physiological endpoints, and provides no quantitative data.
Cited by
- supports Perceived social support—the sense that support is available if needed—provides significant health and well-being benefits, regardless of whether it is actively utilized.