MANAGING STRESS: Social support networks [Waxler-Morrison et al.]

Many forms of dysfunctional behaviour are treated in group therapy and support sessions, such as alcoholism, drug addiction and anger management. Some stress management also emphasises the need for social support in coping with stressful situations.

Cohen and Willis argue that there are four types of social support (all of which we need):

1. Instrumental support; practical support such as help with taking care of loved ones or help with getting to where you need to be.

2. Informational support; advice on what to do and how to cope with different situations.

3. Esteem support; emotional support from friends, colleagues, loved ones and others which makes you feel valued, safe, loved and respected. 

4. Social companionship; general interaction with others for its own sake rather than functional relationships such as at work.

Study: Waxler-Morrison et al. 

Waxler-Morrison et al conducted a study on the impact someone's social support networks had on their ability to cope with the stress of and survive cancer. It used a sample of 133 Canadian women under the age of 55 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Data was taken from medical records as well as self-report methods (largely questionnaires but also some interviews). The findings suggested six aspects of social support were most closely associated with cancer survival:

1. Marital status (married women who survived tended to report supportive husbands)

2. Support from friends

3. Contact with friends

4. Employment (employed women found this important in coping with cancer as it was a source of information and social support).

5. Social network

6. Total support

A strong social support system was concluded to reduce the stress associated with life-threatening but not necessarily terminal illnesses such as breast cancer, and thus make survival more likely. Though, obviously the most important factor in survival is the diagnosis of the cancer (i.e. how developed the cancer is).