The quality of social relationships and social support appears to be associated with physical health outcomes and sleep quality. Almost all previous research in this area focuses on positive aspects of relationships. In addition to supportive relationships, however, social networks include individuals with whom we have relationships that are aversive (negative), ambivalent (both highly positive and negative) and neutral (indifferent).
This study examined the links between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent network ties and sleep quality. 175 middle-aged and older adults reported relationship data, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)-assessed sleep quality, and depression.
As predicted, supportive ties were positively related to sleep quality, while aversive ties predicted worse sleep quality, associations that were primarily seen for close relationships (for example, spouses). Ambivalent and indifferent ties were not significant predictors of sleep quality. Importantly, depression was found to mediate the link between relationship quality and sleep quality.
These data suggest the more specific types of social relationships that may be linked to poor sleep quality and that depression appears to underlie these associations.
Robert G Kent de Grey
Department of Psychology, University of Utah
Publication
Social Relationships and Sleep Quality.
Kent RG, Uchino BN, Cribbet MR, Bowen K, Smith TW.
Ann Behav Med. 2015 Dec
Download PDF
Related Articles:
| Sleep abnormalities in different clinical stages of… Sleep abnormalities are commonly observed in individuals with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Research shows that over half of people with these conditions have trouble sleeping. Poor sleep also often… |
| Looking inside the heart: how multiple chronic… The aim of this study was to understand how having several ongoing health problems—what we refer to as multimorbidity—impacts the heart in people with cardiovascular disease, especially those undergoing heart… |
| Rabbits with mammary carcinomas as a model for… Within a breeding colony of rabbits, the American pathologist Harry Greene (1904-1969) observed that mammary carcinomas were restricted to certain families. This is suggestive of a familiar predisposition as it… |
| Could mometasone furoate be a viable glucocorticoid… Glucocorticoids are medications widely used to treat inflammation and allergies, and in contexts of immunosuppression such as after transplants. They are well-established and safe. The problem is that, when used… |
| Making Christmas trees under duress, or how cells… Some of the most enduring images for a molecular biologist are electron microscopy micrographs of the so-called “Christmas trees”, famously first observed by Oscar Miller from newt oocytes in 1969.… |
| PEPITEM supports new bone and blood vessel growth in… While bones may appear solid and unchanging, they are a living tissue that is constantly being broken down and rebuilt in a process known as bone remodelling. Specialised cells (called… |
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.