Relationship quality and physical health: Responsiveness as an active ingredient predicting health across the lifespan

Allison K Farrell; A Lea Stimpel; Sarah C E Stanton; Richard B Slatcher

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101628

Relationship quality and physical health: Responsiveness as an active ingredient predicting health across the lifespan

Curr Opin Psychol. 2023 Aug:52:101628. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101628. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

Authors

Allison K Farrell¹, A Lea Stimpel², Sarah C E Stanton³, Richard B Slatcher⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Miami University, USA. Electronic address: farrelak@miamioh.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Miami University, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, USA.

PMID: 37413936
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101628

Abstract

A growing body of research has established responsiveness as a robust predictor of physical health. Here, we evaluate the extent to which this work establishes partner responsiveness as an active ingredient- a specific component within the broader construct of relationship quality that accounts for a demonstrated association between relationship quality and health. We review work demonstrating that responsiveness predicts a wide range of physical health outcomes, above and beyond other facets of relationship quality, and that it moderates the effects of other protective processes and risk factors. Finally, we discuss how new methodological and interdisciplinary approaches can provide generalizable, causal, and mechanistic evidence to further validate responsiveness as an active ingredient linking relationships and health.

Keywords: Health; Lifespan; Responsiveness.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Causality
Humans
Longevity*
Risk Factors