Health and Social Relationships—The Good, the Bad, and the Complicated

For scholars and undergraduate and graduate students in health psychology, Newman and Roberts (social and behavioral sciences, Arizona State U.) bring together 10 chapters on the psychological and physiological links between relationships and physical and mental health, emphasizing the importance of relationships and perceptions. Psychologists and social and behavioral science researchers from the US first provide an overview of the pathways linking social relationships with health outcomes and research on the health outcomes associated with giving and receiving social support, then address the health impact of spousal-type relationships and affectionate touch; loss due to separation, divorce, or widowhood; and the dyadic processes of health behavior and emotion regulation in romantic couples. They then consider family relationships, peer relationships, and cultural norms related to health and support; the implications of research for resilience; and the importance of social connections and how the therapeutic relationship can serve as a model for promoting healthy interpersonal relationships. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)