question_answer

“Social support is positively related to psychological well-being.” Discuss.

Answer:

Ans.     Social support is defined as “the existence and availability of people on whom we can rely upon, people who are caring and sharing.” Someone, who believes that he or she belongs to a social network of communication and mutual obligation, experiences social support.

Social support can be viewed as:

(i) Perceived Support: The strength and quality of social support that can be provided only by individuals which is positively related to health and well-being.

(ii) Social Network: The number of people who are available to provide support, i.e. the quantity of social support is unrelated to well-being, because it is very time- consuming and demanding.

Social support has three forms:

(a) Tangible Support: It refers to assistance involving material such as money, goods, services, etc. For example, an individual provides financial support to his unemployed friend.

(b) Informational Support: Family and friends provide this support. For example, if an individual lost his job and is searching another job then his elders, friends or senior colleagues may provide ways and means to search new job.

(c) Emotional Support:

During stress, we all have experience strain.

Anxiety, loss of self-esteem, frustration, pressure and general manifestation of stress are experienced by everybody.

Supportive friends and family provide emotional support by reassuring the individual that he/she is loved, valued and cared for.

Research has demonstrated that social support effectively reduces psychological distress.