What Are the 5 Different Types of Social Support?

When we experience the different types of social support, we feel close to and cared for by our community. In contrast, as noted in chapter 11 of “Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research,” published online by the National Library of Medicine, “The opposite of social support is loneliness.”

This chapter explained that “social support is a predictor of physical and mental health, and a buffer that protects (or ’buffers’) people from the bad effects of stressful life events,” having a significant “impact on psychological distress, quality of life, loneliness, burden of care, as well as anxiety, depression, hope, meaning, self-transcendence, and mortality risk.”

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A robust culture of social support fosters an environment where, as the Universal House of Justice puts it, “Fear of failure finds no place. Mutual support, commitment to learning, and appreciation of diversity of action are the prevailing norms.”

Learn about the following five different types of support and how you can practice them in your everyday interactions.

1. Emotional Support

Emotional support involves acts of physical and emotional comfort that express sympathy, empathy, care, and concern. Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, highlighted the importance of consoling those in need, asking us to “raise the fallen” and “comfort the sorrowful.” Examples of this type of social support include:

• Hugging someone who has had a bad day.
• Checking in with someone who is going through a difficult time to let them know that you are there for them.
• Visiting someone in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home to brighten their day and take their mind off of their injury or illness.
• Listening to someone’s problems without interrupting, judging, criticizing, or changing the subject.
• Being physically present with someone as you empathize with their feelings and validate their experiences.

2. Esteem Support

“The friends everywhere need encouragement,” wrote the Universal House of Justice in a 1996 message to the Baha’is of the world.

Esteem support refers to encouraging messages that boost someone’s self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. Examples of esteem support include:

• Offering positive feedback to motivate someone who has taken on a new project or challenge.
• Recognizing someone’s accomplishments and celebrating their successes.
• Letting someone know that you believe that they have what it takes to achieve their dreams.
• Praising a person’s positive qualities and attributes and complimenting their talents and skill sets.
• Challenging a person’s negative beliefs about themselves by reminding them of what they are capable of.

3. Social Network Support

“Social network support is defined as the messages that help to enhance one’s sense of belonging to a specific group with similar interests or situations,” according to a journal article titled “Understanding the Different Types of Social Support Offered by Audience to A-List Diary-Like and Informative Bloggers,” published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Here are examples of social network support:

• Organizing regular gatherings to bond and connect people who share the same interests and values.
• Connecting someone with other friends in their social network who would be interested in supporting their initiatives.
• Ensuring that all members of a community feel welcomed and included.
• Collaborating on projects with others who have similar goals.
• Introducing someone to a mentor who can provide personalized guidance and help them feel more connected and supported within a professional network.

4. Informational Support

Informational support is the advice, guidance, or knowledge that helps individuals solve problems, make informed decisions, or understand situations more clearly. Examples of this type of social support include:

• Teaching someone about a topic that they are interested in.
• Offering guidance based on your area of expertise.
• Directing someone to informative resources that would enhance their understanding.
• Conducting detailed research for someone to help inform their decision.
• Giving advice about how to solve a problem.

Of course, make sure that you ask a person if they would like your advice before you offer it. Studies have shown that too much unsolicited advice and undesired critical feedback can actually worsen a person’s mental and physical health, as well as their relationship satisfaction.

5. Tangible Support

At a talk in London in 1911, Abdu’l-Baha said, “We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowledge or words in the bitter winter; we must give the practical help of Loving-kindness.” 

“Practical help” is what tangible support is all about. Tangible support, also referred to as instrumental support, encompasses the physical acts of service and responsibilities we take on to help alleviate someone’s burden. Examples of tangible support include:

• Giving money to the homeless and financially destitute.
• Offering a ride to someone who doesn’t have a car.
• Taking meals to someone who is too sick to cook for themselves.
• Helping someone pack and move to their new home.
• Offering to babysit for someone who needs to attend an important appointment.

All of these different types of support are expressions of love for those around us. As Abdu’l-Baha advised:

Strive to increase the love-power of reality, to make your hearts greater centers of attraction and to create new ideals and relationships.

First of all, be ready to sacrifice your lives for one another, to prefer the general well-being to your personal well-being. Create relationships that nothing can shake; form an assembly that nothing can break up; have a mind that never ceases acquiring riches that nothing can destroy.

By understanding and practicing these types of social support, we can strengthen our relationships and create a more compassionate and connected community. Social support truly is the glue that binds strong and lasting relationships together.