The DOI matches its Crossref record; 80 of the 81 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Social support, social integration, and inflammatory cytokines: a meta-analysis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Social support and social integration have been linked to lower rates of morbidity and mortality. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for such links need greater attention to advance theory and unique intervention opportunities. The main aim of this article was to conduct a meta-analytic review of the association between social support-social integration and inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6, C-reactive protein) and test several proposed moderators from prior qualitative reviews. METHOD: . The review identified 41 studies with a total of 73,037 participants. RESULTS: The omnibus meta-analysis showed that social support-social integration were significantly related to lower levels of inflammation (Zr = -.073). These results were not moderated by the operationalization of social relationships or the type of population, cytokine, and design. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that inflammation is at least one important biological mechanism linking social support and social integration to the development and course of disease. Future work should continue to build on this review and address next-generation questions regarding antecedent processes, mechanisms, and other potential moderators. (PsycINFO Database Record
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“Such inflammation is a potent driver of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, and diabetes (Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, 2010; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2010; Uchino et al., 2018; Zhou et al., 2012).”
From Social media use and systemic inflammation: The moderating role of self-esteem (2021) · cites this paper as Uchino et al., 2018
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“Emerging research indicates that social integration and related social processes (e.g., social support, quality of social interactions) are reliably associated with lower levels of IL-6 and CRP (see Uchino et al., 2018 for a meta-analysis).”
From Social media use and systemic inflammation: The moderating role of self-esteem (2021) · cites this paper as Uchino et al., 2018
Citations
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“Although many interdisciplinary researchers have included social integration as an index of social support, these constructs have appeared separable on both empirical and conceptual grounds (Cohen, 2004; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010; Uchino, 2004).”
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Holt‐Lunstad, J. (2022) · Annual Review of Public Health · doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-110732 · Cited by 642
Slavich, G. M. (2020) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045159 · Cited by 502
“…subsequent meta-analysis examined data from 41 studies and 73,037 participants and found that being socially well integrated was associated with lower levels of the inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen (Zr = −0.076; 95% CI [−0.11, −0.04]) (Uchino et al. 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialHolt‐Lunstad, J. (2024) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.21224 · Cited by 541
Smith, K. J., Gavey, S., Riddell, N. E., Kontari, P., & Victor, C. R. (2020) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.002 · Cited by 364
Psychosocial Interventions and Immune System Function
Shields, G. S., Spahr, C. M., & Slavich, G. M. (2020) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0431 · Cited by 322
Metadata
- Authors
- Uchino, B. N., Trettevik, R., Kent de Grey, R. G., Cronan, S., Hogan, J., & Baucom, B. R. W.
- Venue
- Health Psychology
- Published
- 2018-05
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 462-471
- ISSN
- 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-7810
- OpenAlex
- W2792810717
- Semantic Scholar
- 7d168fbdd00e3ec2efcb8e68133c1428db3bbd0f
- Cited by
- 320
- References
- 81
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 26.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- social support, social integration, inflammatory cytokines, inflammation, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, biological mechanisms, interpersonal relationships, health outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Inflammation, Social Support, Cytokines
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