Health-related correlates of social support in intimate relationships

Abstract

Aims: This symposium aims to investigate conditions under which supportive actions in couples occur as well as how partners’ support may affect health-related outcomes. Authors focus in particular on social support interactions in couples in distinct clinical and non-clinical settings. Contributions to this symposium underscore the importance of investigating interpersonal correlates of health behavior and disease management by using dyadic study designs. Rationale: Investigating social support in intimate relationships is of high importance for adults’ health promotion as the majority of adults are living in stable relationships and partners are often highly involved in each other’s health practices. To date, only few studies examined conditions under which provision of supportive action is facilitated. Also, more studies with dyadic designs are needed to examine partner support as a correlate of health. This symposium takes up these issues and provides implications for practice and future research in this field. Summary: First, Berli et al. are contrasting effects of dyadic and individual action control physical activity interventions on support exchange among overweight individuals and their partners. Keller et al. will then explore predictor domains of partner assistance in prostate cancer patients’ dyadic planning of pelvic floor exercise. Third, Hohl et al. report findings on the interplay of partner support and patients’ self-efficacy in the context of pelvic floor exercise following radical prostatectomy. Subsequently, analyzing data from multimorbid patients and their partners, Horn et al. are presenting actor and partner effects of emotion regulation strategies on adjustment to patients’ symptoms. Finally, Aleksandra Luszczynska will discuss implications of the presented papers.