Social Support

Social Support Networks

Social integration in a variety of types of social ties is linked to improved mental and physical health. Several theoretical explanations for this effect have been proposed. Participation in social roles can enhance self-concept and give meaning and purpose to life. Social interactions can be a source of stimulation and positive affect. Relationships also regulate our behavior. In contrast, networks full of conflicting roles, hostile interactions, or inducements to unhealthful behaviors can be harmful. In the late 1980s, Teri Albrecht and Mara Adelman brought social support to the attention of communication scholars with their proposal that uncertainty reducing communication was a key pathway through which support networks facilitated personal control.

A social network perspective is distinctive in examining how structural features of the linkages among people shape the communication of support. For example, networks of different size, density (a measure of interconnectedness among links), and heterogeneity afford different kinds of resources and opportunities. Similarly, the study of social capital explores how services, resources, and trust measured at the community level benefit members.

Perceived Available Social Support

Perceived available support refers to a belief that one is cared for, valued, and part of a network of mutual aid. Many scholars regard perceived available support as a cognitive schema. Viewing the social world as supportive buffers individuals from the otherwise negative effects of stressful life events. Believing others care for us can lead us to appraise life circumstances as less stressful. When we do experience stress, the perception that others are there for us leads us to seek help and to positively evaluate others' responses, thus facilitating adaptive coping.

Perceived available support may also reflect an assessment of relationships as trusting, intimate, accepting, and responsive. The presence of these relational qualities may satisfy fundamental human needs and create an environment conducive to coping when stresses arise. Alternatively, the absence of such relationships may create relational disappointment, conflict, and distress.

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