And you see Prof. Dr. Samar Amer said that this result does not mean that the family is inherently a source of problems, but rather it may reflect the specificity of family relationships. They are relationships that are difficult to leave from, and in which love and duty intersect, and care with responsibility, which may make ongoing pressures more influential than relationships that can be easily separated from.
Another striking finding is that the study did not find a statistically significant correlation between the husband or wife being a source of stress and the indicators of biological aging that it measured. The researchers stress that this does not mean that marital disputes - or abuse within the relationship - do not affect health, but rather it only means that this study, according to its methodology, did not prove this connection.
Is everyone vulnerable to stressful relationships to the same degree? The study results indicate that exposure to stressful relationships is not distributed equally among all people, as reporting the presence of people who are a frequent source of stress was more common among women, smokers, people with health problems, those who had difficult experiences in childhood, as well as among those who feel that others are too dependent on them.
Prof. Dr. explains: Samar Amer said that these results do not mean that these groups are more likely to have stressful relationships, but rather they may reflect that those who already live under health, psychological, or social burdens become more exposed to additional pressures within their relationships, or more affected by them.
The researchers stress that the study does not determine the direction of this relationship; Stressful relationships may contribute to the deterioration of mental and physical health, and health or psychological problems may make a person more vulnerable to stress in his or her relationships. Therefore, the results indicate an association between these factors, but they do not prove a direct causal relationship.
The body is in a state of alert
Burden of chronic stress. When a person faces a sudden danger, or a stressful situation, the body responds naturally by secreting hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which prepares it to deal with the situation. This response usually ends with the disappearance of the danger, and the body gradually returns to its normal state.
Prof. Dr. explains: Samar Amer said that the problem arises when stress turns into a chronic condition, as may happen with relationships that constantly exhaust a person. In this case, the body remains in a state of repeated alert, which is known scientifically as “allostatic load,” that is, the accumulated burden on the body’s systems as a result of continuous exposure to stress.
Over time, this burden may be reflected in sleep quality, blood pressure, appetite regulation, and immune response. It may also contribute to enhancing processes associated with chronic inflammation, which researchers believe may be linked to accelerated biological aging.
However, the study confirms that this explanation is still a biological hypothesis supported by evidence, but it does not conclusively prove that stressful relationships are the direct cause of these changes, but rather explains one of the possible paths that may link them.
Relationships are part of health. You see, Prof. Samar Amer said that the real value of this study lies in that it calls for expanding the concept of health to include the social environment in which a person lives. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, health is not limited to the absence of disease, but rather includes physical, psychological, and social well-being, which makes the quality of human relationships part of health, and not just a separate social aspect.
The results of the study are consistent with this concept, as they indicate that chronic social stress may be linked to psychological, physical, and biological indicators, which calls for considering the quality of relationships as one of the factors that deserve attention when evaluating human health, along with nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and smoking abstinence.
What do these results mean for us? Prof. Dr. confirms Samar Amer, the most important message of this study is not a call to re-evaluate every difficult relationship in our lives, nor to pass judgment on the people around us, but rather to realize that chronic social pressures deserve attention as one of the factors that may affect health, like other lifestyle factors.
She adds that human relationships are, by their nature, complex, and may contain love and disagreement, support and difference, so they cannot be reduced to “good” and “bad” relationships. Also, the results of this study do not mean that ending a certain relationship will slow down aging, or automatically improve health, as this matter was not researched, and there is still no scientific evidence to prove this.
In our Arab societies, where family relationships are based on the values of family ties, solidarity, and responsibility, the message does not lie in estrangement or withdrawal from every difficult relationship, but rather in managing relationships in a more balanced manner, setting healthy boundaries that maintain mutual respect, and seeking support when needed if pressures begin to affect daily life.
Finally, this study does not provide a conclusive answer, but it adds new evidence to growing research indicating that human health is not affected by lifestyle factors alone, such as food and physical activity, but also by the psychological and social environment in which he lives.
Therefore, the most important message is not to search for ideal people, or to withdraw from every difficult relationship, but rather to realize that chronic stress deserves attention, just like other health risk factors. Human relationships are not devoid of differences, but continued psychological exhaustion may reflect on the quality of life, and perhaps on health as well.
Perhaps the question that is worth asking ourselves from time to time is: Do our relationships give us a feeling of security and support, or have they become a constant source of pressure? Simply asking this question could be another step towards a more balanced and healthier life.
