Marshalling social support for medical patients and their families.

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Abstract
The stress-moderating effects of social support have been examined largely in the context of stressful life events and role transitions, not in relation to serious and chronic medical illnesses. This article first reviews several lines of research on the relationship between social support and the onset, course, and outcomes of medical illness, highlighting both the network''s beneficial impact on the patient and the adverse effects of illness on the patient''s social field and on its capacity to render support. Two types of interventions designed to marshal support on behalf of medical patients and their families are then identified: dyadic support strategies involving the introduction of lay allies, and peer support groups composed of other patients with the same diagnosis. Practical and theoretical issues surrounding the design of these interventions are discussed, and an agenda for research on their structure and supportive processes is outlined.