What effect do strong social support networks have on stress?

• A. Increase cortisol levels and stress response.
• B. Reduce stress responses and lower cortisol levels.
• C. Have no effect on stress.
• D. Worsen immune suppression.

Answer: (B)

Strong social support buffers the body's response to stress. When you feel supported by friends, family, or a community, the perceived threat of a stressful situation is lowered, so the body doesn’t activate the stress system as strongly. The key stress pathway involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which releases cortisol when a situation is threatening. With social support, this activation is dampened, leading to lower cortisol levels and a milder physiological stress response.

This explains why strong social networks are associated with better coping and healthier outcomes: they blunt the stress response and protect immune function from prolonged cortisol exposure. In contrast, options suggesting increased cortisol, no effect, or worsened immune suppression don’t align with how social support moderates stress.