Poster #229 - Lifelong Physical and Mental Health Implications of Adolescent Social Support

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Psychological literature lacks a conclusive stance on whether social support serves a protective or maladaptive function, as studies report mixed trends (Kawachi & Berkman, 2001). However, previous studies of social support often do not account for the amount of support being called for by the receiver, which could drastically change the available outcome interpretations.

The present study employs observational, self-report, and biological measures to understand more about adolescent close peer social support while accounting for what is being called for by the receiver, and its implications for changes in physical and mental health over the lifespan. In this study, we consider depression because of its relevance as a major world health crisis. We also look into BMI, Resting Blood Pressure, and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine associated with immune response to pathogens, because of their links to long-term physical health and disease.

Methods
A socio-economically diverse community sample of 184 individuals was assessed eight times over a 17-year period: from age 13 to age 30.
At age 13-18, instrumental and emotional support were assessed annually using observational interaction data in which teens and their best friends completed a 6-minute supportive behavior task. These interactions were coded for the target teen’s call for instrumental and emotional support and the close peer’s given instrumental and emotional support. BMI and levels of depression were also assessed at each participant visit.
At age 27-30, participants gave a 20 ml blood sample, which was analyzed for circulating concentrations pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6. Participants’ BMI and levels of depression were also assessed.

Results:
All analyses use Full Information Maximum Likelihood approach for handling missing data while controlling for gender and socioeconomic status.

Support calibration was calculated via generalized linear model, in which we predicted support provided by a friend using support called for by an individual (both observational codes in an advice-giving task), in which support calibration was determined to be equal to the residuals of the GLM’s. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a relationship between support calibration in early adolescence (age 13-15) and changes in depression from early adolescence to late adolescence (age 16-18) such that teens whose friends were more supportive in early adolescence endorsed slightly increasing depression as they aged (β=0.01, p<.001). We also found a relationship between support calibration throughout adolescence (age 13-18) and markers of mental and physical health into adulthood. Adolescent Support Residuals predicted changes from adolescent depression to adult depression (β = 0.01, p<0.001), changes in BMI (β=0.37, p<0.001), blood pressure (β=-0.001, p<0.001), and levels of IL-6 (β =2.03 , p<0.001).

Discussion:
Results are interpreted as indication that the level of supportiveness (and the appropriateness of that support, based on the needs of a teen) within a friendship in adolescence could have serious long-term mental and physical health indications into early adulthood. Potential mechanisms of this relationship, as well as limitations of the study and future directions for research will be discussed.

Authors

• Meghan Costello, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Emily Loeb, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jessica Kansky, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Allen, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author