An Ecological Approach to Understanding and Facilitating Social Support

Bibliographic Data

ID2937592
AuthorsAlan Vaux (Southern Illinois University, corresponding author)
Year1990
Volume7
Issue4
Pages507-518
Publication date1990-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0265407590074007
OpenAlexW2159868285
LanguageEN
Citations received35
References cited21

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

Business · Context (archaeology · Intervention (counseling · Knowledge management · Process (computing · Process management · Social support · Computer Science · Health disparities and outcomes · Health, psychology, and well-being · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Social Psychology

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