Cobb S
Psychosom Med. 1976 Sep-Oct;38(5):300-14. doi: 10.1097/00006842-197609000-00003.
Social support is defined as information leading the subject to believe that he is cared for and loved, esteemed, and a member of a network of mutual obligations. The evidence that supportive interactions among people are protective against the health consequences of life stress is reviewed. It appears that social support can protect people in crisis from a wide variety of pathological states: from low birth weight to death, from arthritis through tuberculosis to depression, alcoholism, and the social breakdown syndrome. Furthermore, social support may reduce the amount of medication required, accelerate recovery, and facilitate compliance with prescribed medical regimens.
社会支持被定义为使个体相信自己被关心、被爱、受尊重且是相互负有义务的网络中的一员的信息。本文回顾了人际间支持性互动对生活压力所致健康后果具有保护作用的证据。社会支持似乎能保护处于危机中的人们免受多种病理状态的影响：从低出生体重到死亡，从关节炎到肺结核，再到抑郁症、酗酒以及社会解体综合征。此外，社会支持可能会减少所需药物的剂量，加速康复，并促进对规定医疗方案的依从性。
