Ashkan J Ahmadian1, Joy E Lin2, Thomas C Neylan3, Joshua D Woolley3, Aoife O'Donovan3, Beth E Cohen4. 1. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, St. Mary's Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. 2. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA. 3. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. 4. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: beth.cohen@ucsf.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality, which may be mediated through elevated inflammation. In contrast, social support appears to protect against morbidity and mortality, reduce levels of inflammation, and improve PTSD outcomes. METHODS: We examined relationships among social isolation, perceived social support, and inflammation in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with and without PTSD. Our sample included 735 (35% PTSD+) participants from the Mind Your Heart Study (mean age = 58 ± 11; 94% male). Social isolation was assessed with the Berkman Syme Social Network Index; perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; and PTSD with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. Inflammation was indexed by high sensitivity C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and fibrinogen. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine associations between social measures and inflammation. PROCESS was used to examine the interactive effects of social relationships and PTSD on inflammation. RESULTS: Social isolation, but not low perceived social support, trended towards an association with elevated inflammation in the full sample. However, considering groups with and without PTSD separately, social isolation was significantly associated with all inflammatory markers among individuals without PTSD, but not among those with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Social integration is associated with reduced inflammation in individuals without, but not with, PTSD. Socially integrated individuals with PTSD did not have lower levels of inflammatory markers than socially isolated individuals with PTSD. Published by Elsevier Inc.
BACKGROUND:Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality, which may be mediated through elevated inflammation. In contrast, social support appears to protect against morbidity and mortality, reduce levels of inflammation, and improve PTSD outcomes. METHODS: We examined relationships among social isolation, perceived social support, and inflammation in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with and without PTSD. Our sample included 735 (35% PTSD+) participants from the Mind Your Heart Study (mean age = 58 ± 11; 94% male). Social isolation was assessed with the Berkman Syme Social Network Index; perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; and PTSD with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. Inflammation was indexed by high sensitivity C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and fibrinogen. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine associations between social measures and inflammation. PROCESS was used to examine the interactive effects of social relationships and PTSD on inflammation. RESULTS: Social isolation, but not low perceived social support, trended towards an association with elevated inflammation in the full sample. However, considering groups with and without PTSD separately, social isolation was significantly associated with all inflammatory markers among individuals without PTSD, but not among those with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Social integration is associated with reduced inflammation in individuals without, but not with, PTSD. Socially integrated individuals with PTSD did not have lower levels of inflammatory markers than socially isolated individuals with PTSD. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Entities:
Keywords:
Immune System; Inflammation; PTSD; Perceived Social Support; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Social Isolation; Social Network; Social Support
Authors: Kristen Nishimi; Brian Borsari; Brian P Marx; Paige Tripp; Eleanor Woodward; Raymond C Rosen; Beth E Cohen; David Maven; Ahmad Jiha; Joshua D Woolley; Thomas C Neylan; Aoife O'Donovan Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2022-02 Impact factor: 4.267