Social Networks and Health: Micro Processes and Macro Structures

Since its nascency, the field of social network analysis has been intrinsically linked to human health and well-being. In fact, the very first empirical article ever published in Sociometry evaluated a psychiatric treatment to inter-personal distress that employed the spontaneous interactions unfolding in a triad of physician, patient, and proxy actors (Moreno, 1937). This was a first attempt in a research context to show that there may be direct effects that tie patterns of social relations to individual well-being in small groups. Moreno & Jennings (1938) also made the early and astute argument that the social structure observed through measurement of social relations is inseparable from biological and psychological frames of reference: they are all inherently interdependent. More than 80 years of research in this area has since been developed and yet the field is still flush with opportunities to learn about the interplay between social networks and health. In this special issue of the Journal of Social Structure, we highlight the work of leading scientists in this field.