BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality, which may be mediated through elevated inflammation. In contrast, social support appears to protect against morbidity and mortality, reduce levels of inflammation, and improve PTSD outcomes. METHODS We examined relationships among social isolation, perceived social support, and inflammation in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with and without PTSD. Our sample included 735 (35% PTSD+) participants from the Mind Your Heart Study (mean age = 58 ± 11; 94% male). Social isolation was assessed with the Berkman Syme Social Network Index; perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; and PTSD with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. Inflammation was indexed by high sensitivity C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and fibrinogen. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine associations between social measures and inflammation. PROCESS was used to examine the interactive effects of social relationships and PTSD on inflammation. RESULTS Social isolation, but not low perceived social support, trended towards an association with elevated inflammation in the full sample. However, considering groups with and without PTSD separately, social isolation was significantly associated with all inflammatory markers among individuals without PTSD, but not among those with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS Social integration is associated with reduced inflammation in individuals without, but not with, PTSD. Socially integrated individuals with PTSD did not have lower levels of inflammatory markers than socially isolated individuals with PTSD.

中文翻译：

---

有或没有创伤后应激障碍的个体的社会融合和炎症


背景创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）与发病和死亡风险增加相关，这可能是通过炎症升高介导的。相比之下，社会支持似乎可以预防发病率和死亡率、降低炎症水平并改善创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）结果。方法 我们研究了患有或不患有 PTSD 的退伍军人事务部 (VA) 患者的社会孤立、感知社会支持和炎症之间的关系。我们的样本包括 735 名（35% PTSD+）来自“留意你的心”研究的参与者（平均年龄 = 58 ± 11；94% 为男性）。使用 Berkman Syme 社交网络指数评估社会隔离；感知社会支持与感知社会支持的多维量表；和 PTSD（临床医生管理的 PTSD 量表）。炎症以高敏 C 反应蛋白、白细胞计数和纤维蛋白原为指标。使用分层线性回归来检查社会测量与炎症之间的关联。 PROCESS 用于检查社会关系和 PTSD 对炎症的交互影响。结果 在整个样本中，社会孤立，而不是低感知的社会支持，倾向于与炎症升高相关。然而，单独考虑患有和不患有 PTSD 的群体，在没有 PTSD 的个体中，社会隔离与所有炎症标志物显着相关，但在患有 PTSD 的个体中则不然。结论 对于没有创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的个体来说，社会融合与炎症减轻有关，但与此无关。与社会融合的 PTSD 患者的炎症标志物水平并不比与社会隔离的 PTSD 患者低。