An Ecological Approach to Understanding and Facilitating Social Support

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Abstract
Social support is best viewed as a complex process unfolding in an ecological context. This process involves transactions between people and their social networks, including the active development and maintenance of support network resources, the management of support incidents to elicit appropriate supportive behavior from the network and the synthesis of information to yield support appraisals. The process is shaped by features of both the person and the social ecology. This ecological model of support allows a more complete understanding of support processes, including their relationship to stress and well-being. The model also serves as a framework for intervention, highlighting targets and strategies for programs designed to facilitate social support. Options briefly discussed include improving utilization of resources, developing and maintaining resources, managing support incidents and enhancing support appraisals.

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