Support for Body and Soul
Support for the soul can increase or restore health for our body in two ways. First, social support can enhance wellness through bonding, attachment, appreciation and affirmation. The more support I have the better I feel, the better I feel the more likely I am to withstand adversity and develop resilience.
The second mechanism through which social support enhances wellness is by providing emotional and instrumental support in times of crises. The stressful reactions associated with divorce, moves, transitions, or loss may be buffered by the presence of helpful and supportive others.
Compared with people with lower levels of supports, those who enjoy more support from relatives or friends live longer, recover faster from illnesses, report better health, and cope better with adversities. Studies have shown that women with advanced breast cancer have better chances of survival when they participate in support groups. After a follow up of 48 months, researchers reported that all the women in the control group had died, whereas a third of those who received group support were still alive. The average survival for the women in the support group was 36 months, compared to 19 months in the control sample who had not received group support.
Another group of researchers made similar claims on a sample of patients with blood malignancies. They claimed that, “the use of special educational and supportive programs are associated with significant prolongation of patient survival.” A third team reported that patients with malignant melanoma were more likely to die or experience recurrence of the disease if they did not receive the group intervention that the experimental group received. Out of 34 patients in each group, of those who received group support, only 7 had experienced recurrence and 3 had died at the five-year follow-up, compared with 13 who experienced recurrence and 10 who had died in the control group. Altogether, these three teams of researchers found that social support can enhance health and longevity in the face of deadly diseases.
One way to make sure that we maximize the benefits of social support is by enhancing sense of community and the availability of support throughout the life cycle, and not just in times of need. There is a role here for the community at large, and for public institutions, in promoting mattering, belonging, affection, and mutual help. We need to think of public institutions as promoters and not only as restorers of well-being. We need to make others feel valued all the time, and not only when their body or soul are compromised.
Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky is an award-winning academic and author. He is also a coach, consultant and a researcher. His latest book, co-authored with his wife, Dr. Ora Prilleltensky, is How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Press here to pre-order.