A Happy Partner May Help You Manage Stress, Especially in Old Age: University of California Study
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Having happy intimate partners might not only lift our moods, but it also helps us manage stress, especially as we age, according to new University of California, Davis, research.
When comparing individuals’ self-reported emotional states and relationship satisfaction with their levels of cortisol, researchers observed that older couples have lower levels of the stress hormone when their partners feel positive emotions. This effect was even stronger for people who reported higher satisfaction in their relationships. The study was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
“Having positive emotions with your relationship partner can act as like a social resource,” said Tomiko Yoneda, an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Letters and Science and the study’s lead author.
In old age, the links between our emotions and cortisol may be even stronger. Older adults also tend to have stronger physiological responses to stress, but their bodies are less able to slow down their cortisol production. For older couples, intimate relationships might play a role in managing their cortisol levels, researchers said.
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