The research team around the health psychologist Brian Don from the University of Auckland examined the effects of positive and negative relationship experiences on the body. For their study, the researchers analyzed how, on the one hand, these experiences and, on the other hand, the health values of the study participants changed from day to day.
For the Study, which has now been published in the journal “Social Psychological and Personality Science”, more than 4,000 people measured blood pressure and heart rate with their smartphone or smartwatch every day over a period of three weeks. Every three days they also reported on their closest relationship with another person and described the positive and negative things they had experienced in it.
Less stress and better stress management
The research team found that, on average, people with more positive and fewer negative experiences in the relationship reported less stress and better coping with stress, and had healthier blood pressure. “Both positive and negative relationship experiences affect blood pressure and heart rate. They can also contribute to everyday stress and how well someone copes with it, ”said first author Don in a broadcast. “It’s not just regarding how we feel regarding our relationships overall, the ups and downs are important too.”
“The quality of our relationships can decide who lives and who dies,” the study authors write. While the study mightn’t establish a causal relationship, it does show how relationships and physical health are often intertwined, Don said. Further studies are needed to determine causality. In addition, it makes sense to examine other bodily functions, such as reactions of the nervous system to daily positive and negative relationship experiences.
Challenges from external stressors
In addition to the relationship quality itself, it is also important to research how external stress factors can influence relationships and thus people’s physical health, according to the study. As an example, the coronavirus pandemic is cited: Since the pandemic, relationships “have faced unprecedented challenges, turbulence and change,” said Don.
The pandemic might have had health consequences not only due to the virus itself, but also indirectly due to the impact on people’s relationships. “Because the Covid-19 pandemic has led to considerable stress, turbulence and fluctuations in people’s relationships, it also has an indirect impact on physical well-being,” says the psychologist.