The Social Connection We humans are such inherently social creatures that our closest relationships can have particularly therapeutic—or devastating—effects on our health. In an article titled “Marriage, Divorce, and the Immune System,” Janice Kiecolt-Glaser (2018) integrates years of research involving both newlywed and older couples. This research indicates a troubled relationship is “depressogenic,” that marital distress can provoke depression, which, in turn, can cause conflict in a relationship— especially in women. Kiecolt-Glaser and Wilson (2017) note that all of this can compromise the immune system through two pathways: (1) by triggering behaviors that are maladaptive (such as a loss of sleep, poor diet, and alcohol and drug use) and (2) by causing inflammation, which can increase the risk of physical illnesses (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and other conditions).