Social Support, Social Networks, and Health

Nearly three decades ago, in Illness, Immunity, and Social Interaction, Moss (1973) described the function of social support as “social therapy”; that is, a process occurring in communication networks, operating for the purpose of helping people to cope with “incongruities.” Though the specific terminology has changed over the years, researchers across the social sciences, epidemiology, public health, and medicine have long recognized the importance of supportive communication as a necessary condition for the quality of life and for healthful living (e.g., Berkman & Syme, 1979; Cassel, 1976; Cobb, 1976; Moss, 1973).