The Importance Of A Good Quality Social Support Network

As a therapist with a history of working with those with substance dependency, I can’t emphasise how important it can be to have a good quality social support network in our lives. Having the right people and organisations in our lives can really make a big difference. Thus, this article will explore the importance of a strong social support network and ways to help us develop and maintain a good quality one.

 

 

What Is A Social Support Network?

 

As humans, we have a need to belong, to be in social groups and to socialise, and these fulfilling relationships help bring us meaning and have a positive effect on our quality of life, and our happiness (Balaji et al., 2007). We’re a social species, which is why loneliness can have such a devastating effect on our mental wellbeing.

 

According to Drageset (2021), a social support network is one of a multidimensional component called social capital, of which our social support network is another part of that component. This view on what a social support network is is similar to the concept of recovery capital I outlined for supporting your mental wellbeing and overcoming your difficulties.

 

Countless studies have shown the importance of having a good social support network based on strong relationships that can be counted on, as this fulfils one of our basic human needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Just ask the Suicide Callback Service organisation in Australia.

 

Our social support networks can include, but are not limited to, family, friends, pets, neighbours, organisations, and supportive communities (Braithwaite and Gooden, 2023). Thus, social support networks are made of individuals (even casual acquaintanceships) and groups who have been joined together through our relationships, which allows us access to resources that can be beneficial to us, protecting our mental wellbeing (Balaji et al., 2007).

 

Drageset (2021) also stated that gaining social support from your social support network is beneficial regardless of a person’s level of life stress, as it’ll still provide a positive influence on health and mental health. This makes it a vital resilience resource. This would explain why our pets can even be part of our social support networks. Even though they don’t really understand us, they can and do become part of the family.

 

 

Support for this comes from Balaji et al. (2007), who state that many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of feeling loved and emotionally supported and how it protects us both physically and mentally.

 

Further support comes from a study by Rosenfeld, Richman, and Hardy (1989), who investigated the social support networks of athletes. They found that they gained social support from their social support network, which was made up of their coaches, teammates, friends, and parents. Each provided a unique contribution to the athletes’ support needs.

 

“No Man Is an Island”, the poem by John Donne, which has become a saying, emphasises how none of us goes through our lives on our own, and anyone who claims they’ve never had support from anyone, is likely lying. It’s why we developed societies in the first place; because we will all need some level of support during our lives (Braithwaite and Gooden, 2023).

 

In short, having a good quality social support network will help protect your mental wellbeing, working as a buffer for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression (Balaji et al., 2007). Such social support networks will also avoid loneliness and increase life expectancy (Drageset, 2021), due in part to reducing the likelihood of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

 

Having a social support network you can turn to will also help with coping with life events, such as traumatic events like a sudden loss or domestic abuse (Balaji et al., 2007). We all need someone we can vent to as well (Rosenfeld, Richman, and Hardy, 1989).

 

 

How Can A Good Social Support Network Improve Recovery From Addiction

 

As I said at the start, I worked within the field of substance dependency, and I’ve also studied addiction. A key factor I noticed in people reaching their recovery goals was their social support network. If they didn’t have a social support network or it was of poor quality, then their relapse rate was high.

 

A study by Islam et al. (2023) also found the same. Their study found that, on an individual level for someone in addiction recovery, their perception and source of social support from their social support network was extremely important. This was true even if that support came from someone who wasn’t abstinent themselves. Good quality support like this will help the person stick to their treatment and improve their odds of achieving their recovery goals.

 

This is supported by Atadokht, Hajloo, Karimi, and Narimani (2015). They conducted a study using the descriptive correlation method on 80 participants referred to an addiction treatment centre. The results show the importance of using families and their perceived social support network in supporting people with addiction because of the increase in success rates of treatment they bring.

 

Islam et al. (2023) also talked about how previous research suggests that social support networks have a positive effect on the outcomes for people in recovery from their addiction. Atadokht, Hajloo, Karimi, and Narimani (2015) reported the same when talking about previous studies, reporting that these studies helped prevention and treatment of substance dependency, helping with relapse prevention.

 

 

How To Build And Maintain A Strong Social Support Network

 

Nurture existing relationships

Examine the relationships you already have in your life, and then if they’re beneficial or could be beneficial to your mental wellbeing, then spend quality time with them. Express your appreciation, show your gratitude, and listen actively to their concerns.

 

Create a safe space

Creating a safe space where people will feel safe to open up is important for everyone, so creating that space for others will also benefit us. An extreme example of this is reporting abuse. Sylaska and Edwards (2014) report that people disclose information to others in their social support network (family, friends, colleagues, etc.). Adding, the most helpful responses to disclosures of abuse are those of emotional support. Creating a safe space will signal to others that this support is available.

 

For a guide on how to create a safe space, please check out my article on the topic by clicking here. 

 

Join groups and clubs

Sometimes we don’t have a well-developed social support network. One way to grow such a network is by joining groups and clubs that align with our interests and hobbies. Or something we’re just interested in trying out. For example, in a recent article, I wrote about the mental health benefits of Warhammer 40K. You could also try joining a service like Meetup.com, which can be a great way to start tackling loneliness if you can’t tackle your loneliness with existing friends and family for whatever reason.

 

Volunteering

Making new connections often means leaving your comfort zone, such as joining a new group or class (Bachert, 2024). But it can also mean seeking out volunteering opportunities. The plus side of volunteering is that you get to give back to your community, which can be a rewarding experience. I met one of my very good friends after volunteering for a substance dependency charity for four/five years.

 

Be open and honest

It’s hard to create a safe space if you’re not able to share your thoughts and feelings openly and honestly. That doesn’t mean just treating people with raw, unfiltered honesty. Tact is important, and when needed, moving away from the criticism sandwich for constructive feedback is often a better approach.

 

 

Offer support

Having a social support network isn’t meant to be a one-way street (Morin, 2023). How are any of us to maintain good quality relationships if there’s only taking and no giving?

 

Thus, we should all take time to review how we “show up” for the people in our lives, so that these relationships work for everyone involved and can be sustained (Braithwaite and Gooden, 2023). As MensLine Australia said, these people make up your “team”, and there’s no “I” in team.

 

Boundaries

No matter who you are, it’s important to maintain healthy boundaries in your relationships to avoid feeling overwhelmed. To keep your social support network healthy and functioning, check your boundaries.

 

Burning bridges

Unfortunately, not everyone in our social support network is supportive. Some of our relationships can be a source of conflict, hurting our mental wellbeing. This is apparently more common for women (Balaji et al., 2007). Although I’m not a woman, I know my mum and aunt aren’t good for my mental wellbeing, and I have cut my aunt off completely and massively reduced my interactions with my mum.

 

As such, you may want to consider removing people who are harmful to your wellbeing from your social support network, or at least minimising your interactions with them.

 

Take time to consider what you want from the people in your social support network, and give people a chance to change so they can be the supportive person you need (Harvey, n.d.). However, be prepared that some people won’t be willing to change.

 

 

This is the problem when it comes to stigma. A study by Frost, Meyer, and Schwartz (2016) investigated the social support networks of lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women. Their study was conducted with 396 participants with a comparison group of 128 heterosexual peers. They found that gay and bisexual men may rely on chosen families from within the LGBTQIA+ communities more than lesbian and bisexual women.

 

The issue, as Frost, Meyer, and Schwartz (2016) reported, is that marginalised groups are exposed to more stress and have few resources to cope with that stress, putting them at a disadvantage. As a Black kid growing up in an all White town, I can personally vouch for that.

 

The researchers in this study believe that gay and bisexual men are more likely to be rejected by their families than lesbian and bisexual women. They speculate that this may be because people harbour more intense feelings of prejudice and feel less comfortable around gay and bisexual men than they do with lesbian and bisexual women. Thus, making it hard for gay and bisexual men to maintain relationships with their families.

 

Another interesting finding from this study was that all the participants turned to other people in their social support network over their family for everyday support.

 

Disability and health transitions

Speaking from experience, I’ve had to make a lot of changes as my health has declined. Developing a social support network that can support people with such health and disability transitions is the key to success in that transition.

 

According to DO-IT, if you’re going through such a change, it can be helpful to create a list of personal and professional support in your support network. It can also help to create a list of who might be useful for what specific needs you may have as a result of this transition. For example, who might be able to drive you to appointments.

 

 

Identifying your current support network

Journal, reflect, and ask yourself who you’d go to for different needs (who you’d go to for advice, who you’d go to for a shoulder to cry on, etc.). Where there is no one, focus on how you can develop relationships that will fill that void in your social support network.

 

Remember, not only can you grow your social support network through meeting people in person, but you can also do that online (Bachert, 2024). We can have valid experiences and connections with people even online.

 

Use technology

As I just said, we can connect with people online and develop meaningful social support networks just as well there as we can in person (N.n., 2020), especially now that video chat services like Zoom and Google Meet exist. We connect with people far away via email, text messaging or video calls. Even back in the day before the internet, people used the telephone and had pen pals as a way to develop and maintain relationships (Balaji et al., 2007).

 

I think the best way to highlight this is to signpost you to some of the amazing gaming friend stories:

• Gamers meet in real life at bedside of terminally-ill friend.
• Gamer offers to play with anyone feeling alone or struggling, gets thousands of wholesome responses.
• Gaming friends share how playing together helps them survive quarantine.
• Gamer’s girlfriend arranges surprise meeting with online friend of six years.

 

Community and social support networks have transcended the barriers that would often keep our forefathers isolated.

 

Make time

With all that said, the most important thing for a good social support network, like all things in life, is time. You have to make time to invest in these relationships. Some might not require that much of an investment, while others will. That’s the problem with being an adult. We’ve all got shit going on. So you’ve just got to find that balance.

 

 

Summary

 

Whether you have a good quality or inferior quality social support network might be the lynchpin to your mental wellbeing and longevity. But fret not. There are many ways to revive, grow, and maintain your social support network, helping it develop into a good quality one. Hopefully, my article will help you with that.

 

As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with creating and maintaining a good social support network in the comments section below. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.

 

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References

 

Atadokht, A., Hajloo, N., Karimi, M., & Narimani, M. (2015). The role of family expressed emotion and perceived social support in predicting addiction relapse. International Journal of High Risk Behaviors & Addiction, 4(1), e21250. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5812/ijhrba.21250 and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4393558.

Bachert, A. (2024, May). How can you build a support network?. Rula. Retrieved from https://www.rula.com/blog/support-networks.

Balaji, A. B., Claussen, A. H., Smith, D. C., Visser, S. N., Morales, M. J., & Perou, R. (2007). Social support networks and maternal mental health and well-being. Journal of Women’s Health, 16(10), 1386-1396. Retrieved from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jwh.2007.CDC10.

Braithwaite, K. & Gooden, M. B. (2023, November). Cultivating A Strong Social Support Network: Social support is emotional and/or physical help, assistance, or comfort. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/resilient-you/202311/cultivating-a-strong-social-support-network.

Drageset, J. (2021). Social Support. In: Haugan, G., Eriksson, M. (eds) Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research. Springer, Cham. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63135-2_11, https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-030-63135-2.pdf, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585650/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK585650.pdf, and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585650.

Frost, D. M., Meyer, I. H., & Schwartz, S. (2016). Social support networks among diverse sexual minority populations. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86(1), 91–102. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000117 and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4878705.

Harvey, R. (n.d.). How do you build a great support network?. The Resilience Coach. Retrieved from https://www.theresiliencecoach.co.uk/blog/how-do-you-build-a-great-support-network.

Islam, M. F., Guerrero, M., Nguyen, R. L., Porcaro, A., Cummings, C., Stevens, E., Kang, A., & Jason, L. A. (2023). The Importance of Social Support in Recovery Populations: Toward a Multilevel Understanding. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 41(2), 222–236. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2023.2181119 and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10259869.

Morin, A. (2023, March). How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970.

N.n. (2020, August). The Importance of Having a Support System. Mental Health First Aid USA. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2020/08/the-importance-of-having-a-support-system.

Rosenfeld, L. B., Richman, J. M., & Hardy, C. J. (1989). Examining social support networks among athletes: Description and relationship to stress. The Sport Psychologist, 3(1), 23-33. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lawrence-Rosenfeld/publication/232448211_Examining_Social_Support_Networks_among_Athletes_Description_and_Relationship_to_Stress/links/5ab18dab458515ecebece586/Examining-Social-Support-Networks-among-Athletes-Description-and-Relationship-to-Stress.pdf and https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/3/1/article-p23.xml.

Sylaska, K. M., & Edwards, K. M. (2014). Disclosure of intimate partner violence to informal social support network members: A review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15(1), 3-21. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1524838013496335 and https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kateryna-Sylaska/publication/252325042_Disclosure_of_Intimate_Partner_Violence_to_Informal_Social_Support_Network_Members_A_Review_of_the_Literature/links/5512c8400cf268a4aaeb0ea6/Disclosure-of-Intimate-Partner-Violence-to-Informal-Social-Support-Network-Members-A-Review-of-the-Literature.pdf.