Protracted or repeated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system is associated with a variety of physical and psychological pathologies. Studies dating back to the 1970s have documented many cases in which the presence of a social companion can moderate HPA responses to stressors. However, there also are many cases in which this "social buffering" of the HPA axis is not observed. An examination of the literature indicates that the nature of the relationship between individuals is crucial in determining whether or not social buffering of the HPA response will occur. Other factors that affect social buffering, either directly or by influencing the social relationship, include the social organization of the species, previous experience, gender, integration into a social unit, and the developmental stage at which individuals are examined. Current evidence suggests that social buffering involves mechanisms acting at more than one level of the CNS. It is suggested that, in addition to promoting health, social buffering may have evolved to direct the establishment of social relationships, and to facilitate developmental transitions in social interactions appropriate for different life stages.

中文翻译：

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压力反应的社会缓冲：多样性、机制和功能

下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺皮质 (HPA) 系统的长期或反复激活与多种生理和心理疾病有关。追溯到 1970 年代的研究记录了许多案例，其中社交伴侣的存在可以减轻 HPA 对压力源的反应。然而，也有很多情况没有观察到 HPA 轴的这种“社会缓冲”。对文献的检查表明，个体之间关系的性质对于确定是否会发生 HPA 反应的社会缓冲至关重要。直接或通过影响社会关系影响社会缓冲的其他因素包括物种的社会组织、以前的经验、性别、融入社会单位、以及检查个人的发展阶段。目前的证据表明，社会缓冲涉及在不止一个中枢神经系统层面起作用的机制。有人提出，除了促进健康外，社会缓冲可能已经演变为指导社会关系的建立，并促进适合不同生命阶段的社会互动的发展转变。