What does support mean for a human being?

Support involves having a group or a network of people who help you practically and emotionally when in need. It helps you in your tough times and lack of social support can cause isolation and loneliness. When someone supports you, you feel better, your mental health becomes better and you gain self-esteem.

Types of support that a person can have

Having a support system is necessary for our psychological well-being. We usually get a lot of support from our family and friends, but there are some other forms of support too.

• Emotional support:

We as humans are very sensitive and need a lot of emotional support. People who support us emotionally give us encouragement, empathy, and reassurance. They support us during our good and bad phases.

• Instrumental support:

Instrumental support refers to the physical and tangible aids that people may provide. This kind of support is usually given when you are in immediate need of something. For eg, your friend may give you financial aid if you need it.

• Informational support:

When people provide you with beneficial information it is known as informational support. For eg, providing guidance and advice about something. With the help of informational support, people may feel less anxious or worried about their problems.

Why support is important?

Support is an important component of strong psychological health. Support helps someone when they are facing distress and stressful events and situations. However, support alone is not important, the belief that social support exists is also important meaning if you receive support from someone but do not acknowledge it, the support won’t be of any help. Research has shown the link between social support and mental health.

Some studies related to it:

Numerous studies have been performed to understand the effect of social support on mental health, quality of life and physical health.

• In a study, during the seven-year-long period, middle-aged men were observed. The men with less social and emotional support were more likely to die than those men with strong support.
• In another study which was conducted via a survey method, 400 university students were chosen randomly. The study suggests that more than 50% of the students received social support from family and friends, and that was the reason for students’ strong psychological health.

Health benefits:

Mental health professionals and psychologists emphasise on the importance of having a strong support system. According to experts, we lean on to our friends and family for support when we are stressed or when we are trying to reach our goals. Poor or weak social support can be a cause of depression and loneliness among people. Let’s look at some health benefits.

• It promotes a healthy lifestyle and behaviours.
• It lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• It improves our ability to cope with stressful situations and events.
• It improves our motivation when trying to achieve our goals.

Conclusion:

A support system is essential for good mental health. A strong support system can improve your mental health whereas lack of support system or poor support can isolate you or make you feel depressed. A support system has its consequences – it can be positive or negative. A positive support system can uplift you whereas a negative support system can lead to poor mental health. A support system can make you or break you, hence it’s important to have a good and strong support system.

References: 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-love-and-war/201406/what-kinds-support-are-most-supportive

https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4565496/