Social support works in tandem with other psychosocial mechanisms. For example, social support has indirect effects on health habits by fostering psychological well-being and reducing physiological arousal (Uchino 2004). This may be beneficial for health habits because adolescents and adults often engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and drinking as a way of self-medicating to reduce tension and anxiety (Baker et al. 2004, Kassel et al. 2003, Thoits 1995). Social support also buffers individuals from the negative effects of stress (Cohen et al. 2004). For example, parents influence adolescent health behavior in part because close ties to parents act as a buffer against negative peer influences and stress (Meadows 2007). Social support may also operate indirectly through enhanced personal control (Berkman et al. 2000), as shown in studies of smoking cessation (Gulliver et al. 1995).
