Feeling stressed? Thinking about your romantic partner can help, says study

Thinking about your romantic partner, when faced with a stressful situation, may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having the significant other present with you, a study claims. In the study, published in the journal Psychophysiology, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task -- submerging one foot into three inches of cold water ranging from 3.3 to 4.4 degrees Celsius. Researchers from the University of Arizona (UA) in the US measured participants' blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability before, during and after the task.

The participants, all of whom were in committed romantic relationships, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. They either had their significant other sitting quietly in the room with them during the task, they were instructed to think about their romantic partner as a source of support during the task, or they were instructed to think about their day during the task.

Those who had their partner physically present in the room or who thought about their partner had a lower blood pressure response to the stress of the cold water than the participants in the control group, who were instructed to think about their day.

Heart rate and heart rate variability did not vary between the three groups, researchers said. The effect on blood pressure reactivity was just as powerful whether the partner was physically present or merely conjured mentally, they said.

Previous studies have suggested that having a partner present or visualising a partner can help manage the body's physiological response to stress. The new study, led by UA psychology doctoral student Kyle Bourassa, suggests that the two things are equally effective -- at least when it comes to blood pressure reactivity.

The findings may help explain, in part, why high-quality romantic relationships are consistently associated with positive health outcomes in the scientific literature, Bourassa said.

"This suggests that one way being in a romantic relationship might support people's health is through allowing people to better cope with stress and lower levels of cardiovascular reactivity to stress across the day," she said.

"And it appears that thinking of your partner as a source of support can be just as powerful as actually having them present," said Bourassa.

Future studies should look at members of the general community in varying age ranges, Bourassa said. If replicated, the findings could have implications for those facing everyday stressful situations, she said.