Essay On Social Support

Social support can be defined in a number of different ways, depending on the viewpoint of the individual. The general premise of the term social support, is defined as a network of people including friends, family and community members which provides interactions and communications, both verbal and non-verbal, that help support physically, physiologically and mentally (Kendall-Hunt, 2011).

Social support can also be defined into 5 different categories, Emotional support – conversations that help the emotional needs of an individual, Esteem support – communication that helps a person boost their self-esteem and self-efficiency, Information support – discussions that provide individuals with information they may find useful, Network Support – which focuses on informing individuals of the support that is accessible to them within the network, as well as confirming their belonging in the group and Tangible support – which is physical support or services that are provided. (Kendall-Hunt, 2011)

Social support is commonly considered to be a positive thing with studies outlined in this essay demonstrating that social support, in numerous areas and across a variety of situations and settings, can help improve both physical and physiological issues.

This essay will first look at the benefits of social support among individuals living in rural areas and how social support has a positive effect on their mental health, improved suicide rate and with new mothers in isolated areas. The essay then looks at social support in relation to the elderly and its effect on cognitive decline, better eating habits and nutrient intake as well as an increase in life expectancy. The next paragraph looks at the positive effect of social support with women w...

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Among those who are recovering from addiction, social support was shown to have a positive effect decreasing the possibility of relapse, as have friends, family or support groups there to encourage addicts as they quit showed to make them more determined to succeed and quit.

As articulated in this essay, Social support and its effects have a positive effect on individuals across a large variety of settings, both urban and rural as well as across all age groups and different life situations including substance rehabilitation, transition to motherhood and in relationships of abuse. The effects of social support are nearly all positive and include delay on the onset of cognitive decline, improved chance of sobriety, better feelings towards becoming a mother, increased nutrient intake, increased life expectancy and lowered likelihood of mental health issues.