The Role of Social Support Theory in Health and Happiness

Social support theory is a vital framework in understanding how our connections with others can profoundly impact our health and well-being. At the heart of this theory lies the recognition that humans are inherently social creatures, and the bonds we form provide more than mere companionship; they serve as a lifeline that sustains us through life’s tumultuous seas. Whether it’s a shoulder to lean on during times of distress or a shared laugh that brightens our day, the support we give and receive is the invisible thread that weaves the fabric of our social existence.

This article delves into the intricate tapestry of social support, unraveling the threads to reveal how each strand strengthens our resilience, enhances our happiness, and ultimately shapes our lives.

Social support theory encompasses several key elements that contribute to its impact on health and well-being. Moreover, social support can enhance resilience by fostering a sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and perceived control over one’s circumstances. It can also provide individuals with different perspectives or coping strategies for dealing with challenges more effectively.

Daniel Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, wrote:

“In our day to-day lives, the degree of social support we feel helps modulate our stress response. Holding the hand or seeing a photo of someone you love and trust can actually decrease your brain’s anticipatory anxiety, as well as its neural response to a painful shock” (Siegel, 2020).

Overall, By leveraging social support resources proactively, individuals can enhance their capacity to withstand adversity and thrive in challenging circumstances.

Social support theory, as we understand it today, is not the brainchild of a single individual but rather the culmination of work by many researchers across various disciplines. The concept of social support and its effects on health and well-being has been a focus of research by scientists and practitioners in social, behavioral, medical, and nursing fields.

One notable figure in the development of social support theory is Francis Cullen, who, in his 1994 presidential address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, emphasized the importance of social support in criminology and distinguished between macro-level and interpersonal-level effects of social support.

The theory was developed and became prevalent as an area of intensive academic study during the mid-1970s and early 1980s, defining social relationships in concrete terms such as interactions or relationships between individuals. It’s important to note that while these contributions were significant, the theory continues to evolve as new research and insights emerge.

Social integration, within the framework of social support theory, refers to the extent to which individuals are connected to and involved in their social networks. It emphasizes the importance of relationships with others in providing emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support during times of need or stress.

In social support theory, social integration plays a crucial role in facilitating access to various forms of support from family members, friends, colleagues, or community resources. Individuals who are well-integrated into their social networks tend to have more opportunities for receiving help and assistance when facing challenges or difficulties.

A thoughtful and purposeful effort to build social networks before significant life challenges is worth its weight in gold (Haidt, 2003). In the heat of the moment, we won’t have time to build new connections. Belonging to social networks and partaking of social capital is a give and take process. In our moment of need, we draw support from our preexisting connections.

A well socially integrated person has an abundance of social capital to draw upon in moments of distress and need.

See Social Capital for more informatioin on this topic

Stress Buffering Model

The stress buffering model is a key concept within social support theory that explains how social support can help individuals cope with stress and mitigate its negative effects on health and well-being. According to this model, social support serves as a protective factor that buffers the impact of stressors on an individual’s physical and psychological health (Cohen & Wills, 1985). Life grinds against our souls, leaving us raw and vulnerable. A protective network of others provides a shield, buffering the aversive effects of living in an unpredictable world.

When individuals face stressful situations or challenges, such as job loss, illness, or relationship difficulties, having access to supportive relationships can play a crucial role in helping them manage their emotions and navigate through adversity more effectively. Social support provides emotional comfort, practical assistance, advice, and encouragement that can alleviate feelings of isolation, anxiety, and overwhelm during difficult times.

Diathesis-Stress Model and the Buffering Hypothesis

This buffering provides a protective space between stressful life events and damaging consequences. According to the diathesis-stress model, disease is a combination of genetic vulnerabilities and stressful life events. By minimizing the impact of life stresses, social support also helps protect against disease.

Gabor Maté, MD. wrote that research “revealed a significant interaction between highly threatening life stressors and social support. Women experiencing a stressor objectively rated as highly threatening and who were without intimate emotional social support had a ninefold increase in risk of developing breast carcinoma” (Maté, 2008).

Randolph Nesse, renowned for his pioneering role in evolutionary psychiatry, reports that the strongest factor contributing to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after a traumatizing event is a “lack of social support” (Nesse, 2019).

The stress buffering model posits that social support acts as a buffer by moderating the relationship between stressors and negative outcomes. In other words, when individuals have strong social networks and receive adequate support from others, they are better equipped to cope with stressors and may experience lower levels of distress or adverse health effects compared to those who lack social connections.

Direct Effects Model

The direct effects model is another important concept within social support theory that focuses on the immediate impact of social support on an individual’s well-being, independent of stressors or hardships. Unlike the stress buffering model, which emphasizes the role of social support in mitigating the negative effects of stress, the direct effects model suggests that social support can have positive outcomes on its own.

Social support helps in a number of ways beyond buffering stress. Although the buffering of stress is still an important factor in the benefits of social support, it is not the sole benefit. Sheldon Cohen and Thomas Ashby Wills explain that a beneficial effect of social support “could occur because large social networks provide persons with regular positive experiences and a set of stable, socially rewarded roles in community.” This support “could be related to overall well-being because it provides positive affect, a sense of predictability and stability in one’s life situation, and a recognition of self-worth” (Cohen & Wills, 1985).

According to the direct effects model, having strong social ties and receiving adequate support from others can lead to various positive outcomes such as increased self-esteem, reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation, improved mental health, enhanced quality of life, and better physical health outcomes. Social support acts as a source of comfort and reassurance that promotes emotional stability and resilience in individuals’ lives.

Perceived Support

Perceived support refers to an individual’s subjective belief about the availability and adequacy of support from their social network. It’s the sense that one is cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued by others, and that help is available if needed. This perception plays a crucial role in an individual’s psychological well-being and can influence their ability to cope with stress and adversity.

Research suggests there is only a moderate agreement between the perception of the recipient of support and the network member’s report of support provided (Hupcey, 1997).

No matter how much support we receive our subjective interpretation of the support varies. Believing we are supported or not magnifies or diminishes the benefits. Accordingly, a negative attribution style may impact an individual’s perception that others are present and supportive. Instead, they misinterpret the positive as neutral or even a negative and suffer accordingly.

Deeper Look into Perceived Support:

Subjective Nature: Perceived support is inherently subjective and varies greatly between individuals. It’s based on personal assessment rather than objective measures of support received1.
Impact on Health: Higher levels of perceived support are often associated with better mental and physical health outcomes. It’s linked to lower risks of conditions like cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
Stress Buffering: Perceived support can buffer the impact of stress. When individuals believe they have a supportive network, they may perceive stressful situations as less threatening and feel more capable of managing them.
Quality Over Quantity: The quality of perceived support can be more important than the quantity. Having a few close, supportive relationships can be more beneficial than many superficial ones.
Dynamic and Contextual: Perceived support can change over time and is influenced by current circumstances, past experiences, and expectations for the future (Procidano & Smith, 1997).

Understanding perceived support is essential for developing effective interventions and support systems that can enhance individuals’ coping mechanisms and overall well-being. It emphasizes the importance of nurturing quality relationships and fostering a supportive environment for oneself and others.

Received (Enacted) Support

Received support refers to the actual supportive actions provided by others during times of need. This is the actual aid provided by others, which can include various forms of assistance such as emotional, informational, or tangible support. This can include a wide range of behaviors such as providing advice, offering reassurance, lending a listening ear, or giving practical help. It’s the tangible expression of support that one experiences from their social network, which includes family, friends, colleagues, and even institutions.

Informational Support

Informational support, within the context of social support theory, refers to the provision of advice, guidance, and knowledge that can help an individual cope with challenges and make informed decisions. It’s one of the key forms of support that can be provided by one’s social network, which includes family, friends, colleagues, and even professional advisors.

Here are Some Aspects of Informational Support:

Advice and Guidance: It involves offering suggestions, recommendations, and directions to help someone navigate through a particular situation.
Knowledge Sharing: Informational support includes sharing expertise or information that the individual may not possess, which can be crucial for problem-solving and learning.
Resource Direction: Sometimes, informational support means pointing someone towards resources or services that can assist them further, such as support groups, professional services, or educational materials.
Enhancing Understanding: It helps in clarifying doubts, increasing awareness, and providing explanations that can aid in understanding complex issues.
Empowerment: By providing relevant information, informational support empowers individuals to take action and make choices that are best suited to their circumstances.

This type of support is particularly valuable because it equips people with the tools and resources they need to deal with life’s challenges, promoting autonomy and self-efficacy. It’s not just about giving advice but also about ensuring that the information is tailored to the individual’s needs and is truly helpful in their specific context.

Tangible (Instrumental) Support

Tangible support, also known as instrumental support, is a form of social support that involves providing practical aid to someone in need. This can include financial assistance, material goods, or services that help an individual manage their problems or responsibilities. It’s the physical and concrete expression of support that can alleviate stress and make challenging situations more manageable.

Words are fine. Presence of others essential. However, sometimes tangible support is necessary. In the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey considered suicide after his uncle lost eight thousand dollars of the businesses money. Clarence the angel, assigned to help George, told him that he was there to save him. George immediately asked, “I know one way you can help me. You don’t happen to have 8,000 bucks on you?” Clarence responded, “no, we don’t use money in Heaven.

George quickly retorted, “well, it comes in real handy down here, bud!”

Sometimes we need an arm around our shoulder, sometimes we need eight-thousand bucks. often we need some of both.

Here are Some Key Aspects of Tangible Support:

Practical Help: It includes actions like helping someone with household chores, providing transportation, or assisting with childcare.
Financial Aid: Offering loans, gifts of money, or helping someone find financial resources are forms of tangible support that can relieve financial stress.
Material Assistance: This could be providing food, clothing, or other necessary items that someone might need during difficult times.
Service Provision: Tangible support can also come in the form of professional services, such as legal advice, medical assistance, or counseling.

Tangible support is often most visible and can have immediate benefits for the recipient. It’s a direct way to help someone and can be particularly important during crises or when someone is unable to manage on their own. This type of support underscores the action-oriented aspect of social support, where the focus is on doing something concrete to help another person.

Emotional (Appraisal) Support

Emotional (Appraisal) Support, within the context of social support theory, is a type of support that involves the expression of empathy, affection, trust, and care. It’s the aspect of support that addresses the emotional and psychological needs of individuals, providing comfort, reassurance, and a sense of being valued and understood.

Here are Some Key Points about Emotional Support:

Empathy and Understanding: It includes listening to someone’s concerns and providing a sympathetic ear, showing that you understand and empathize with their situation.
Affection: Offering signs of affection, which can be verbal or non-verbal, such as kind words or a hug, to convey care and closeness.
Encouragement: Providing encouragement and motivation, especially during challenging times, to help boost someone’s confidence and self-esteem.
Validation: Acknowledging and validating someone’s feelings and experiences, which can help them feel heard and respected.
Trust: Building a sense of trust by being reliable and consistent in your support, which can create a safe space for sharing personal thoughts and feelings.

Emotional support is crucial because it can directly affect an individual’s emotional well-being. Emotional support is often what people seek in their relationships with others. It’s about creating a supportive environment where individuals feel they can express themselves freely and receive the emotional nourishment they need to thrive.

See Emotional Attunement and Dyadic Regulation for more information on this topic

Belonging (Companionship) Support

Belonging (Companionship) Support, in the context of social support theory, refers to the type of support that provides individuals with a sense of social integration and involvement. It’s about creating a feeling of being part of a group or community. Belonging is essential for one’s social identity and emotional well-being.

Here are Some Key Aspects of Belonging Support:

Social Interaction: It involves engaging in social activities and interactions that foster a sense of inclusion and community.
Sense of Belonging: This support helps individuals feel that they are an integral part of a group, which can be comforting and reduce feelings of loneliness.
Companionship: It includes the availability of others to spend time with, share experiences, and participate in leisure activities. Accordingly, these relationships provide a social outlet and enjoyment.
Support Groups: Joining support groups or community organizations can offer a structured way to receive companionship support. It is especially beneficial when interacting with those with similar experiences or challenges.
Positive Affective Moods: Companionship support serves to help distract persons from their problems or to facilitate positive affective moods, contributing to overall happiness and satisfaction.

Belonging support is crucial because it directly affects our need for social connection, which is a fundamental human requirement. It emphasizes the importance of having meaningful relationships and social networks that contribute to our sense of belonging. Consequently, this influence are experience of meaning and purpose in life.

The association between social support and wellness is a well-established concept in psychology. The association highlights the profound impact that social connections have on an individual’s mental and physical health.

Emotional Resilience: Social support provides emotional resources that help individuals cope with stress and adversity. It can offer a sense of belonging and acceptance, which are crucial for emotional stability.
Self-Esteem: Social support during childhood and adolescence is associated with development of self-esteem (Karunarathne, 2022).
Physical Health: Studies have shown that individuals with strong social support networks have better health outcomes. For example, people with serious illnesses such as leukemia or heart disease have higher survival rates when they have extensive social support (Karadaş & Duran, 2021).
Intersubjectivity Theory: This theory explores the ways in which humans come to understand the perspectives and experiences of others. It examines how individuals develop shared meanings, communication, and mutual understanding through social interaction.
Mental Health: There is a strong link between social support and mental health. Social connections can reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with high perceived social support had a significantly lower risk of depression and better sleep quality compared to those with low perceived social support (Karadaş & Duran, 2021).
Behavioral Health: Social support can influence health behaviors. For example, it can encourage healthier lifestyle choices, adherence to medical treatments, and engagement in preventive health measures. People with poorer social support die younger, and this association appears to be mediated in part through the impact of social support on motivating health behaviors (Fitzsimons & Finkel, 2017).
Cognitive Functioning: Positive social interactions can also benefit cognitive health. These interactions help individuals maintain cognitive functioning and reduce the risk of cognitive decline with age.

In summary, social support is a multifaceted concept that plays a critical role in enhancing an individual’s well-being. It’s not just about having people around; it’s about having meaningful, supportive relationships that contribute positively to one’s life.

Associated Concepts

Attachment Theory: Developed by John Bowlby, this theory focuses on the importance of early relationships, particularly between children and their caregivers. Moreover, it explores how these relationships influence emotional stability and social relationships later in life.
Reciprocal Altruism: This is an evolutionary and social psychological concept that explains how altruistic behavior—an individual acting in a way that benefits another at a cost to themselves—can evolve and persist among non-kin.
Convoy Theory: Describes the network of social relationships that surround an individual and how those networks change with age.
Self-Efficacy Theory: Proposed by Albert Bandura, this theory emphasizes the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations. It’s related to social support in that support from others can enhance an individual’s self-efficacy.
Learned Helplessness: This concept, introduced by Martin Seligman, describes a state where a person feels unable to control or change a situation. This powerlessness leads to passivity and depression. Social support can counteract learned helplessness by providing resources and encouragement.
Stress and Coping Theories: These theories, including the work of Lazarus and Folkman, explore how people manage stress. Social support is a key coping resource that can help individuals deal with stress more effectively.
Social Learning Theory: Also developed by Bandura, this theory suggests that people learn from one another through observation, imitation, and modeling. Social support networks can be a source of learning adaptive behaviors and skills.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

As we conclude our exploration of social support theory, we are reminded of the profound truth that our well-being is inextricably linked to the relationships we nurture. The invisible bonds of support that connect us to family, friends, and community are not just social niceties but essential lifelines. These bonds significantly enrich our lives. In the tapestry of human experience, each thread of support is a vibrant color that adds strength, warmth, and beauty.

Whether it’s a comforting word in a moment of need or a helping hand in times of trouble, these acts of kindness are the pillars upon which our mental and physical health rests. Let us cherish and cultivate these connections, for they are the bedrock of a healthy, harmonious society. Social support is more than a theory; it is a practice, a commitment, and a journey towards collective wellness. This is a sacred journey that we embark on together, hand in hand.

Last Update: August 27, 2025

References:

Cohen, S., & Wills, T. (1985). Stress, Social Support, and the Buffering Hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310
(Return to Main Text)

Fitzsimons, Grainne M.; Finkel, Eli J. (2017). The Effects of Self-Regulation on Social Relationships. K. D. Vohs, & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Third Edition: Research, Theory, and Applications. The Guilford Press; Third edition.
(Return to Main Text)

Haidt, Jonathan (2003). The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Basic Books; 1st edition.
(Return to Main Text)

Hupcey, Judith (1998). Clarifying the social support theory‐research linkage. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 27(6). DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22742
(Return to Main Text)

Karadaş, A., & Duran, S. (2021). The effect of social support on work stress in health workers during the pandemic: The mediation role of resilience. Journal of Community Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22742
(Return to Main Text)

Karunarathne, R. A. I. C. (2022). Impact of Perceived Social Support and Social Skills on Adolescent’s Self- Esteem: The Social Support Theory Perspective.Journal of Business and Technology. DOI: 10.4038/jbt.v6i2.87
(Return to Main Text)

Maté, Gabor (2008). When the Body Says No. ‎Trade Paper Press; 1st edition.
(Return to Main Text)

Nesse, Randolph M. (2019). Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry. ‎Dutton; 1st edition.
(Return to Main Text)

Procidano, M.E., Smith, W.W. (1997). Assessing Perceived Social Support. In: Pierce, G.R., Lakey, B., Sarason, I.G., Sarason, B.R. (eds) Sourcebook of Social Support and Personality. The Springer Series in Social/Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4899-1843-7_5
(Return to Main Text)

Siegel, Daniel J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. The Guilford Press; 3rd edition. ISBN-10: 1462542751; APA Record: 2012-12726-000
(Return to Article)