Happy but unhealthy: The relationship between social ties and health in an emerging network

TY - JOUR

T1 - Happy but unhealthy

T2 - The relationship between social ties and health in an emerging network

AU - Howell, Jennifer L.

AU - Koudenburg, Namkje

AU - Loschelder, David D.

AU - Weston, Dale

AU - Fransen, Katrien

AU - De Dominicis, Stefano

AU - Gallagher, S.

AU - Haslam, S. Alexander

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - Social connections are essential to health and well-being. However, when pursing social acceptance, people may sometimes engage in behavior that is detrimental to their health. Using a multi-time-point design, we examined whether the structure of an emerging network of students in an academic summer school program correlated with their physical health and mental well-being. Participants who were more central in the network typically experienced greater symptoms of illness (e.g., cold/flu symptoms), engaged in riskier health behaviors (e.g., binge drinking), and had higher physiological reactivity to a stressor. At the same time, they were happier, felt more efficacious, and perceived less stress in response to a strenuous math task. These outcomes suggest that social ties in an emerging network are associated with better mental well-being, but also with poorer physical health and health behaviors.

AB - Social connections are essential to health and well-being. However, when pursing social acceptance, people may sometimes engage in behavior that is detrimental to their health. Using a multi-time-point design, we examined whether the structure of an emerging network of students in an academic summer school program correlated with their physical health and mental well-being. Participants who were more central in the network typically experienced greater symptoms of illness (e.g., cold/flu symptoms), engaged in riskier health behaviors (e.g., binge drinking), and had higher physiological reactivity to a stressor. At the same time, they were happier, felt more efficacious, and perceived less stress in response to a strenuous math task. These outcomes suggest that social ties in an emerging network are associated with better mental well-being, but also with poorer physical health and health behaviors.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908235668&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/ejsp.2030

DO - 10.1002/ejsp.2030

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84908235668

SN - 0046-2772

VL - 44

SP - 612

EP - 621

JO - European Journal of Social Psychology

JF - European Journal of Social Psychology

IS - 6

ER -