Glossary
Social Support
What is social support?
Social support includes resources available through relationships: care, practical help, advice, and feedback. Having contacts, believing help is available, and receiving help are different things.
Types of social support
A common classification distinguishes four forms, although researchers do not all divide support in the same way:
- Emotional support: care, empathy, and reassurance.
- Instrumental or tangible support: practical assistance, such as help with a task or a ride.
- Informational support: advice or information relevant to a problem.
- Appraisal support: feedback that helps someone evaluate their situation or actions.
A friend who listens offers emotional support. Someone who gives you a ride offers practical support. The number of people in your contact list says little about whether you can get the help you need.
Cohen and Wills distinguish the structure of relationships from the functions they serve. Their review considers both broad associations with well-being and the possibility that suitable support reduces the impact of stress.
Examples and sources of support
Support can come from family, friends, colleagues, mentors, peer groups, or online communities. A mentor’s advice and a neighbor’s practical help serve different functions; membership in a group does not establish which kind of help is available.
Why it matters
Useful support fits the person's needs and circumstances. Good intentions alone do not ensure that help is helpful. Associations with health also do not prove that joining any group will improve it.