Despite these benefits, social support can also contribute to unhealthy behavior (Eyler et al. 2003). In adolescence, for example, parental shows of support may contribute to substance use if boys view such efforts as attempts to undermine their autonomy (Marshal & Chassin 2000). In adulthood, contact with convivial and supportive social ties may involve the sharing of potentially unhealthy habits such as overeating or heavy drinking (Berg & Seeman 1994, Uchino 2006). Thus, although various dimensions of support may be generally positive for health behavior, these effects can be blunted or reversed as a function of the kinds of people who are giving support, the support setting, and the ways in which people perceive support.
