The Effects of a Group-Based Social Support Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity

Abstract

This study examined the affect of social support intervention on decreasing psychological and physiological stress. Fifty-seven college students, who scored below the median on functional, structural, and satisfaction measures of social support, were recruited. They were randomly assigned to a social support intervention group or a wait-list control group. The social support treatment condition consisted of 1-hour sessions designed to increase levels of structural and functional support. Participants completed self-report inventories measuring daily stress, physical symptoms, depression, anxiety, and social support both prior to and after treatment. After, participants participated in a laboratory-based psychophysiological assessment that measured their cardiovascular reactivity to a social stressor. Results did not suggest the beneficial effects of a social support intervention on physiological and psychological stress. Both groups showed improvement on most measures. The possible reasons for this are length and content of the intervention, the selection criteria of participants, and group process variables.