Life throws us all difficult times and bumps in the road. Unexpected and sudden losses, illnesses, economic difficulties, relational problems, traumas, or crises within ourselves… In such times, we tend to feel lonely, helpless, and exhausted, even though we know that we are not. But today, I am going to talk about a powerful factor that helps us to maintain our mental health and recover in these moments: The social support system.
So, What Is a Social Support System?
If we need to explain briefly, the social support system is all the emotional, practical, or moral support we receive from family, friends, partners, colleagues, or any social environment (Taylor, 2011). In these difficult times, sometimes just a conversation that makes us feel understood or a hand of support extended in times of need can make us feel strong again and help us stand up again for our struggle.
Yet, asking for help in difficult times is often more difficult than we think. Sometimes the desire to appear strong, sometimes the anxiety of not burdening anyone, can push us to remain silent. However, sharing our feelings, leaning our head on the shoulder of a friend, or just someone saying “I am here” can be the most effective medicine. Social support reminds us that we do not have to bear the weight of the crisis alone, increases our resilience, and accelerates our healing process.
Types of Social Support
Types of social support are generally analyzed under four headings (Heartland Mental Health, 2023). Each of them helps the individual to cope with stress in different ways.
- Emotional Support: Being listened to, being understood, feeling loved and valued. We can think of the emotional support system as the way we approach a dear friend in difficult times.
- Informational Support: Providing information or suggestions to cope with the problem.
- Tangible Support: Providing tangible help that the person needs (financial support, help with housework). An example of tangible support is when a woman who is busy with work and domestic responsibilities is helped by her husband by tidying the kitchen or cleaning.
- Evaluation Support: Providing feedback to help the person evaluate herself/himself and the situation she/he is living in.
Each of these support systems increases the individual’s capacity to cope with stress. Studies have shown that individuals with high social support have a lower risk of mental problems such as depression and anxiety disorders (Ozbay et al., 2007).
Protective Effect of Social Support in Difficult Times
Many psychological theories and research emphasize the positive effects of social support on mental health, especially in the post-traumatic period. Studies with individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have shown that individuals with adequate social support have milder symptoms (Charuvastra & Cloitre, 2008). The reason for this is quite simple: Human beings are social beings, and establishing secure bonds regulates the stress response by reducing the perception of threat.
We can explain this situation by taking the pandemic period as an example. Current research conducted during the pandemic period has revealed the effects of social isolation. It has been observed that working from home, staying away from our loved ones, and lack of social interaction increase feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and burnout. On the other hand, it has been observed that people who maintain social ties even through digital means have higher psychological well-being (Loades et al., 2020).
Giving Social Support Is as Important as Receiving Social Support
Interestingly, giving social support as well as receiving social support contributes to individuals feeling better about themselves. It has also been proven by research that helping causes the secretion of the happiness hormone in the brain. Empathizing, being with someone else in a difficult time, gives the person a sense of belonging and reinforces the sense of meaning in their own life. Not only receiving but also giving social support improves. Let’s not forget that when we help others, not only their mental health but also our own mental health is strengthened.
How to Strengthen Your Social Support System?
- Open Communication: Not hesitating to express our feelings, asking for help when we need it.
- Developing Reliable Relationships: Making space for people we can support as well as receiving support.
- Participating in Social Groups: Being together with groups with common interests and values strengthens social connections.
- Using Digital Platforms Consciously: Evaluating ways to communicate even if we are far away from people who can provide social support.
The Importance of Self-Compassion
Finally, we have mentioned how important social support is, but there is another very important point that we should underline here: Being compassionate towards ourselves in difficult times. It may be easier to lend a helping hand to others than to say to ourselves, “This too shall pass, you are strong enough to get through these difficult times.” It may be easier to realize that a close friend is going through a difficult time and hug them tightly than to show compassion to ourselves and say, “I need support!” However, dear reader, it should not be forgotten that the most supportive and healing thing in this world is the ability of self-compassion. So, when was the last time you showed compassion to yourself?
References
- Taylor, S. E. (2011). Social support: A review. In H. S. Friedman (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Health Psychology (pp. 189-214). Oxford University Press.
- Heartland Mental Health. (2023, November 28). Types of social support: Why social support matters. Heartland Mental Health. Types of Social Support — Heartland Mental Health (URL)
- Özbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan III, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35-40. Social Support and Resilience to Stress: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice – PMC (URL)
- Loades, M. E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., Reynolds, S., Shafran, R., Brigden, A., Linney, C., McManus, M. N., Borwick, C., & Crawley, E. (2020). Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19 – PubMed (URL)
- Charuvastra, A., & Cloitre, M. (2008). Referenced in text but not fully cited here; please ensure proper citation if needed.