The Biology of Resilience

Positive social relationships have consistently been associated with better health, although the neurobiological underpinnings of these observed effects remain largely unknown. The overall goal of the proposed work is to explore novel biological pathways that may explain how social relationships influence health. Recent theorizing suggests that the oxytocin system may underlie some of the observed beneficial effects. Four hypotheses will be examined: 1. Oxytocin ameliorates the deleterious neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and subjective effects of stress. 2. Oxytocin and social support have similar and additive stress-buffering effects. 3. Effects of oxytocin are evident among younger and older adults. 4. Effects of oxytocin are stronger in women vs men.