Health psychology (option): social support from family, friends and community

What social support is

Social support is the perception or experience of being loved, cared for, valued and part of a network of mutual help. Sources: partners and family, friends, colleagues and the community (religious groups, clubs, neighbours, online groups).

Types (Taylor, 2011):

• Instrumental: practical help: money, transport, childcare.
• Informational: advice and information that help a person understand a stressor and choose how to cope.
• Emotional: warmth, reassurance and comfort.

The perceived availability of support is often more important than support actually received.

How it helps

• Direct effects: support benefits health whatever the stress level.
• Buffering: support protects people mainly when they are under high stress, by changing appraisal (a stressor seems more manageable) and reducing physiological stress responses.

Evidence:

• Berkman and Syme (1979): nearly 7,000 Californians followed for 9 years; people lacking social ties died at higher rates, even after controlling for health and habits.
• Cohen et al. (1997): people with more social ties were less likely to catch a cold after exposure to a virus.
• Eisenberger et al. (2007): people with regular supportive contact showed lower cortisol reactivity to a social stressor.
• Community: Nakonz and Shik (2009) found church networks gave migrant workers emotional support, funds and job referrals.

Evaluation

• Strengths: large, long-term studies with mortality data; biological evidence (cortisol, immunity); practical applications (support groups, community programmes).
• Weaknesses: mostly correlational (healthy people may find it easier to keep friends); support can be costly: unwanted or controlling help can increase stress, and negative interactions harm well-being; effects depend on culture: Taylor et al. found Asian Americans were less likely to ask for explicit support because of concern for group harmony, benefiting more from implicit support; gender differences: women give and seek more support ('tend and befriend').

Worked example

A new university student who knows no one is feeling stressed. Suggest how each type of social support could help.

1. **Emotional**: calls from family who reassure her she is valued.
2. **Informational**: a student mentor explains how deadlines and resources work.
3. **Instrumental**: a flatmate lends her money for books until her loan arrives.

Answer: Emotional, informational and instrumental support each reduce a different part of the stress.

Check yourself

1. Lending a stressed friend money is which type of support?
   • Emotional
   • Instrumental
   • Informational
   • Perceived
   Show answer

   Instrumental. Practical, tangible help.

2. Advice from a counsellor on how to manage exam revision is
   • instrumental support
   • emotional support
   • hardiness
   • informational support
   Show answer

   informational support. Information to help cope.

3. The buffering hypothesis says social support
   • has no effect on stress
   • mainly protects health when people are under high stress
   • always increases cortisol
   • only works for men
   Show answer

   mainly protects health when people are under high stress. Protection under stress.

4. Berkman and Syme (1979) followed nearly 7,000 Californians for how many years?
   Show answer

   9. Nine years.

5. What did Taylor et al. find about culture and social support?
   • Asian Americans were less likely to ask for explicit support, partly from concern for group harmony
   • Every culture seeks support in the same way
   • European Americans never seek support
   • Culture has no effect on coping
   Show answer

   Asian Americans were less likely to ask for explicit support, partly from concern for group harmony. Explicit support-seeking varies by culture.

6. Explain one weakness of research into social support and health.
   Show answer

   Most of it is correlational, so we cannot tell whether support improves health or whether healthier people are better able to build and keep social networks.. Name the problem and link to support or health.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification, Issue 6 (November 2024, first assessment January 2026)
• Taylor (2011), Social support: a review, in The Oxford Handbook of Health Psychology
• Pearson IAL Psychology summary of studies: WPS03

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.