Photo: RNZ
New research which shows relationship vollatility may affect your body. Lead study author, Dr Brian Don from the University of Auckland says the quality of our primary relationship can predict how stressed we feel and can result in physiological symptoms such as blood pressure and heart rate. The research - The Good, the Bad, and the Variable: Examining Stress and Blood Pressure Responses to Close Relationships ran from 2019 to 2021 and it has just been published in the journal, Social Psychological and Personality Science. The 4,000 participants of the study usually took part for three week blocks, during which they had changes in their heart rates and blood pressure recorded via smartphone sensor. Dr Don says they were from a range of countries including the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand and shared reflections on their closest relationships, documenting positive and negative experiences.
