levels of emotional support from their partners at baseline, but it deteriorated if they reported initially high levels (Helgeson et al. 2000). Another psychosocial intervention tested individualized emotional and instrumental support services in an effort to improve one-year survival outcomes of adults recovering from myocardial infarction. This study found that, compared to a control group, men in the intervention group exhibited similar mortality rates while women exhibited higher mortality rates during the one-year follow-up (Frasure-Smith et al. 1997). Thus, we must develop a policy foundation that integrates scientific evidence on the linkages between social ties and health, and that foundation must do two things: (1) ensure that policies and programs benefit the populations that need them; and (2) maximize health-related benefits for recipients while minimizing costs for providers and recipients.
