ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2016, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (4): 517-524.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2016.00517

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Role of social support in buffering effects of stress #br# on neural and endocrine systems

XING Xiao-Li; ZHAO Jun-Feng; ZHAO Guo-Xiang   

  1. (Institute of Cognition and Behavior; International Research Center for
    Physical and Psychological Health of Vulnerable Population, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China)
  • Received:2015-06-08 Online:2016-04-15 Published:2016-04-15
  • Contact: ZHAO Jun-Feng, E-mail: zhaojf@henu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Stress is an unavoidable event in our daily life, and exposure to stress chronically is considered a principal cause for psychosomatic disorders. Stressor could trigger a series of physiological responses, including over-activation of automatic nervous system (ANS)and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Social support might relieve the effect of stress on ANS and HPA axis by buffering or attenuating the activity of stress-related neural regions and therefore reinstate homeostasis rapidly, which prevents the organism from stress-related damage.

Key words: social support, stress, autonomic nervous system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, central nervous system