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6 - Social Support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2023

Steven M. Southwick ,
Dennis S. Charney  and
Jonathan M. DePierro
Steven M. Southwick
Affiliation:
Yale University Medical School, Connecticut
Dennis S. Charney
Affiliation:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Jonathan M. DePierro
Affiliation:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
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Summary

One of the most effective resilience factors is all around us - the people in our lives. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the world into lockdown, we found creative ways to reach out to one another. We describe the “tap code,” an ingenious way that Vietnam War POWs, often kept in isolation, supported each other and share informational vital for their mutual survival. We summarize research showing that social support can lower the risk of developing depression and postraumatic stress disorder; and that its opposite, feelings of loneliness, increases one's risk of developing a range of different illnesses. In our busy lives, building and keeping up our social support network takes effort, but it is an essential lifeline.

Keywords

social supportlonelinessfamilyfriendspeersemotional support
Type
Chapter
Information
Resilience
The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges
 , pp. 105 - 122
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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