Giving social support to others: psychosocial and ambulatory blood pressure correlates

The relationship between the social network and physical health has been studied extensively. Research suggests that individuals live longer, have fewer physical symptoms of illness, and have lower blood pressure when they are a member of a social network than when they are isolated. However, much of the research to date has focused on the benefits of receiving social support from the network and the effects of giving to others within the network have been neglected. Limited research of the elderly and volunteers suggests that giving to others is beneficial to the giver. However, research has not been done to investigate the effects of giving on cardiovascular health. The present research explores the effects of giving to others on ambulatory blood pressure, reported physical health, and mental health. Participants completed a questionnaire packet that measured one's level of giving to others, receipt of support from others, self esteem, self efficacy, perceived stress, mood, and depression. Additionally, participants wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 24 hours. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were recorded every thirty minutes during the day and every sixty minutes at night. Analyses revealed that males who reported a high tendency to give social support to others had lower blood pressure at night than males who reported a low tendency to give social support to others. Furthermore, male and female participants who reported a high tendency to give social support to others had significantly more nighttime dipping of blood pressure (daytime levels minus nighttime levels) than participants who reported a low tendency to give social support to others. Correlational analyses revealed that participants with a higher tendency to give social support reported greater received social support, self efficacy, vigor, and self esteem than participants with a lower tendency to give social support to others. These individuals with a higher tendency to give support also reported less depression and less stress than those with a lower tendency to give support. The relationship between reported physical symptoms of illness and tendency to give social support was marginally significant with those reporting a higher tendency to give social support reporting fewer physical symptoms of illness than those with a lower tendency to give support to others. Therefore, it seems that having a high tendency to give support to others is related to physical and mental health.