Social support is the physical and emotional comfort given to us by our family, friends, co-workers and others. It is knowing that we are part of a community of people who love and care for us, and value and think well of us.

Many studies have demonstrated that social support acts as a moderating factor in the development of psychological and/or physical disease (such as clinical depression or hypertension) as a result of stressful life events. There is growing evidence to suggest that social support affects humans differently throughout life, suggesting that the need to receive and provide social support shifts across development.

Forms of Social Support

Support can come in many different forms; experts who study human relationships have identified three main types of social support:

• Emotional Support - This is what people most often think of when they talk about social support. People are emotionally supportive when they tell us that they care about us and think well of us. For example, if you separated from your partner or lost your job, a close friend might call every day for the first few weeks afterwards just to see how you are doing and to let you know that he or she cares.

• Practical Help - People who care about us give us practical help such as gifts of money or food, assistance with cooking, child care, or help moving house. This kind of support helps us complete the basic tasks of day-to-day life.

• Sharing Points of View - Another way for people to help is to offer their opinion about how they view a particular situation, or how they would choose to handle it. In sharing points of view, we can develop a better understanding of our situation and the best way to handle it. For example, if you tell a friend about difficulties you are having with your teenage son, she may offer a point of view you hadn't considered, and this may help you to better address the situation with your child.

Researchers of Social Support

Social Support among Older Adults

• Miriam Stewart

Social Support among Adults

• M. Barrera
• L.A. Chandler
• L.H. Cohen
• B.E. Compas
• Leonard Jason^*

Social Support among Adolescents

• Blake Bowden
• N. Lin
• A.M. Nezu
• Brian Printz
• R.N. Sandler
• Mark Shermis
• E.M. Swearingen

Social Support among Children