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Social Impact on Health of Families

Analysis of Social Relationships: Impact on Families

We as humans are innately social beings. Our very survival depends on those we have around us from the very moment of our first breath. Yet, the concept of just how much our social surrounds impact our health seems to have fallen to the wayside, as other elements take center stage in regards to promoting health in a more modern world. The article written by Debra Umberson and Jennifer Karas Montez (2010) entitled "Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy" brings attention back to the impact social and familial relationships have on the health of individuals, and how this connection can be used to improve the capabilities and success of modern health policies here in the United States and abroad.

The authors go into great detail about just how much our social and familial relationships impact our health. Both physical and mental health is greatly impacted by the nature of our social surroundings. Prior research has suggested that social relationships, of both short- and long-term natures, can have effects on the mental and physical health of an individual. The strength of one's social relationships can greatly improve health over a lifetime. A 1979 study conducted by Berkman and Syme suggested that older adults with greater social and familial ties lived much longer and had a much lower mortality rate than those individuals without such strong social and familial relationships. In addition, "involvement in social relationships has been associated with specific health conditions as well as biological markers indicating risk of preclinical conditions" (). Thus, individuals without strong family or social ties have greater risks of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, cancer, high blood pressure, and slower wound healing. Out of all the social ties studied the most, it is marriage that often proves to have the highest impact on health, especially at later ages. Individuals with immediate families and strong marriages tend to have higher resilience to various conditions and have higher rates of healing and recovery.

Often times, the impact of social relationships begins to emerge in childhood, thus illustrating the importance of how familial structures set the tone for mental and physical health of children as they grow into adulthood. Children set a tone at a very young age based on the health and type of familial and social structures they have around them, Whether positive or negative, these relationships can set a lasting impact that will thus influence how the child reacts to social situations later in life. If a child experiences relative social isolation, or the absence of strong familial or social ties, this may have a negative impact on both his or her immediate and long-term mental and physical health. On the other hand, children with higher levels of social integration will have much stronger self-esteem and will often have a higher resistance to physical health issues. The support these children have from their families and social circles helps them combat illnesses and other conditions at a higher rate of efficiency, while children without such strong family units may be much more negative affected in regards to both their physical and mental health.