Editing Intimate relationship (section)

=== Physical health ===
High quality intimate relationships have a positive impact on [[Health|physical health]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Slatcher |first1=Richard B. |last2=Selcuk |first2=Emre |date=2017 |title=A Social Psychological Perspective on the Links Between Close Relationships and Health |journal=Current Directions in Psychological Science |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=16–21 |doi=10.1177/0963721416667444 |issn=0963-7214 |pmc=5373007 |pmid=28367003}}</ref> and associations between close relationships and health outcomes involving the [[Circulatory system|cardiovascular]], [[Immune system|immune]], and [[Endocrine system|endocrine]] systems have been consistently identified in the scientific literature.<ref name="Kiecolt-Glaser-2001">{{Cite journal |last1=Kiecolt-Glaser |first1=Janice K. |last2=Newton |first2=Tamara L. |date=2001 |title=Marriage and health: His and hers. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.4.472 |journal=Psychological Bulletin |volume=127 |issue=4 |pages=472–503 |doi=10.1037/0033-2909.127.4.472 |pmid=11439708 |issn=1939-1455|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Better relationship quality is associated lower risk of [[Mortality rate|mortality]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robles |first1=Theodore F. |last2=Slatcher |first2=Richard B. |last3=Trombello |first3=Joseph M. |last4=McGinn |first4=Meghan M. |date=2014 |title=Marital quality and health: A meta-analytic review. |journal=Psychological Bulletin |language=en |volume=140 |issue=1 |pages=140–187 |doi=10.1037/a0031859 |issn=1939-1455 |pmc=3872512 |pmid=23527470}}</ref> and relationship quality impacts [[Inflammation|inflammatory]] responses such as [[cytokine]] expression and [[Cell signaling|intracellular signaling]].<ref>{{Citation |last1=GRAHAM |first1=JENNIFER E. |title=Close Relationships and Immunity |date=2007 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-012088576-3/50043-5 |work=Psychoneuroimmunology |pages=781–798 |access-date=2023-11-23 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-088576-3 |last2=CHRISTIAN |first2=LISA M. |last3=KIECOLT-GLASER |first3=JANICE K.|doi=10.1016/b978-012088576-3/50043-5 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kiecolt-Glaser |first1=Janice K. |last2=Gouin |first2=Jean-Philippe |last3=Hantsoo |first3=Liisa |date=2010-09-01 |title=Close relationships, inflammation, and health |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |series=Psychophysiological Biomarkers of Health |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=33–38 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.09.003 |pmid=19751761 |pmc=2891342 |issn=0149-7634}}</ref> Furthermore, intimate partners are an important source of [[social support]] for encouraging healthy behaviors such as increasing physical activity<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Berli |first1=Corina |last2=Bolger |first2=Niall |last3=Shrout |first3=Patrick E. |last4=Stadler |first4=Gertraud |last5=Scholz |first5=Urte |date=2018 |title=Interpersonal Processes of Couples' Daily Support for Goal Pursuit: The Example of Physical Activity |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29121824/ |journal=Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=332–344 |doi=10.1177/0146167217739264 |issn=1552-7433 |pmid=29121824|s2cid=5399890 |hdl=2164/9760 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> and quitting smoking.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Britton |first1=Maggie |last2=Haddad |first2=Sana |last3=Derrick |first3=Jaye L. |date=2019 |title=Perceived Partner Responsiveness Predicts Smoking Cessation in Single-Smoker Couples |journal=Addictive Behaviors |volume=88 |pages=122–128 |doi=10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.08.026 |issn=0306-4603 |pmc=7027992 |pmid=30176500}}</ref> Sexual activity and other forms of physical intimacy also contribute positively to physical health,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jakubiak |first1=Brett K. |last2=Feeney |first2=Brooke C. |date=2017 |title=Affectionate Touch to Promote Relational, Psychological, and Physical Well-Being in Adulthood: A Theoretical Model and Review of the Research |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1088868316650307 |journal=Personality and Social Psychology Review |language=en |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=228–252 |doi=10.1177/1088868316650307 |pmid=27225036 |s2cid=40786746 |issn=1088-8683|url-access=subscription }}</ref> while conflict between intimate partners negatively impacts the immune and endocrine systems and can increase blood pressure.<ref name="Kiecolt-Glaser-2001" />

Laboratory experiments show evidence for the association between support from intimate partners and physical health. In a study assessing recovery from wounds and [[inflammation]], individuals in relationships high in conflict and hostility recovered from wounds more slowly than people in low-hostility relationships.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kiecolt-Glaser |first1=Janice K. |last2=Loving |first2=Timothy J. |last3=Stowell |first3=Jeffrey R. |last4=Malarkey |first4=William B. |last5=Lemeshow |first5=Stanley |last6=Dickinson |first6=Stephanie L. |last7=Glaser |first7=Ronald |date=2005 |title=Hostile marital interactions, proinflammatory cytokine production, and wound healing |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16330726/ |journal=Archives of General Psychiatry |volume=62 |issue=12 |pages=1377–1384 |doi=10.1001/archpsyc.62.12.1377 |issn=0003-990X |pmid=16330726}}</ref> The presence or imagined presence of an intimate partner can even impact perceived pain. In [[Functional magnetic resonance imaging|fMRI]] studies, participants who view an image of their intimate partner report less pain in response to a stimulus compared to participants who view the photo of a stranger.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Younger |first1=Jarred |last2=Aron |first2=Arthur |last3=Parke |first3=Sara |last4=Chatterjee |first4=Neil |last5=Mackey |first5=Sean |date=2010-10-13 |title=Viewing Pictures of a Romantic Partner Reduces Experimental Pain: Involvement of Neural Reward Systems |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=5 |issue=10 |pages=e13309 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0013309 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=2954158 |pmid=20967200 |bibcode=2010PLoSO...513309Y |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Master |first1=Sarah L. |last2=Eisenberger |first2=Naomi I. |last3=Taylor |first3=Shelley E. |last4=Naliboff |first4=Bruce D. |last5=Shirinyan |first5=David |last6=Lieberman |first6=Matthew D. |date=2009 |title=A Picture's Worth: Partner Photographs Reduce Experimentally Induced Pain |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02444.x |journal=Psychological Science |language=en |volume=20 |issue=11 |pages=1316–1318 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02444.x |pmid=19788531 |s2cid=14948326 |issn=0956-7976|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In another laboratory study, women who received a text message from their partner showed reduced cardiovascular response to the [[Trier social stress test|Trier Social Stress Test]], a stress-inducing paradigm.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hooker |first1=Emily D. |last2=Campos |first2=Belinda |last3=Pressman |first3=Sarah D. |date=2018-07-01 |title=It just takes a text: Partner text messages can reduce cardiovascular responses to stress in females |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563218300918 |journal=Computers in Human Behavior |volume=84 |pages=485–492 |doi=10.1016/j.chb.2018.02.033 |s2cid=13840189 |issn=0747-5632}}</ref>