Relationships, health, and well-being: The role of responsiveness

Three decades ago, House, Landis, and Umberson (1988) published their seminal article revealing that being more socially integrated is associated with greater longevity. Since then, research has found robust links between social relationships and health and well-being (HWB); for example, positive social relationships are associated with lower susceptibility to ailments and diseases ranging from the common cold to cancer (Cohen, 2004; Uchino, 2006) and better quality of life (Chu, Saucier, & Hafner, 2010; Myers, 2003). More recently, a meta-analysis of 148 studies showed that individuals with stronger social relationships have a roughly 50% lower risk of death, odds that rival other well-established risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010). In short, social relationships have significance for public health.