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360 REVERSIBLE DISORDERS OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENTneurogenesis, such as hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophophic factor (BDNF)and other neurotrophic factors involved in plasticity, connectivity, cell life, andlearning (Cotman & Berchtold, 2002). Thus, exercise as part of an active copingstyle has meaningful psychobiological impact on resilience.Social SupportSocial support has been widely studied and shown to buffer against stress andprotect mental and physical well-being. Two essential components have beenidentified within this construct: structural (social network size and frequency ofsocial interaction) and functional (emotional, instrumental; Wills & Fegan, 2001).Social isolation and lack of social support have been consistently associated withhigher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, higher levels of stress, and higher levelsof mortality and morbidity in a variety of medical illnesses, whereas higher levelsof social support have been associated with better outcomes following a widevariety of stressors (Resick, 2001). Social support is thought to reduce the rate ofhigh-risk behavior (Rozanski et al., 1999), foster adaptive coping (Holahan et al.,1995), and encourage less negative appraisals of threat (Fontana et al., 1989). Itis also thought to counteract feelings of loneliness (Bisschop et al., 2004), increasea sense of self-efficacy, reduce functional impairment (Hays et al., 2001; Traviset al., 2004), and increase treatment compliance. Individuals who seek and nurturea supportive social network during times of stress will have a more resilientconstitution than socially isolated individuals and will likely fare better in the faceof stress or adversity.In addition to a supportive social network, role models and mentors can changethe course of an individual’s development. Observation and imitation are powerfulforms of learning throughout the life span, especially during childhood andadolescence when the nervous system is changing and habitual styles of thinkingand behavior are being consolidated. Resilient role models can set a positiveexample and help an individual learn skills and attitudes that foster resilience,such as active coping, positive emotion, affect regulation, cognitive flexibility,and finding meaning in adversity (Southwick et al., 2005). As metastudies onpsychotherapy efficacy have shown across therapeutic modalities, a salient ingredientin any psychotherapeutic treatment is the therapeutic alliance (reviewedin Martin et al., 2000). A healthy therapeutic alliance can be a positive additionto an individual’s social network and a therapist can serve as a positive rolemodel.The neurobiology of social support is complex and involves many brain regions,biological pathways, and neurochemicals. The neuropeptide oxytocin is particularlyimportant in social behavior. As described earlier, oxytocin plays an importantrole in social attachment, prosocial behavior, and maternal-style bonding andnurturance behaviors (Heinrichs et al., 2003). In addition, oxytocin has behavioraland physiological stress-attenuating and anxiolytic effects (Heinrichs et al.,