Health support refers to any assistance received from others for the sake of bettering one’s own physical or emotional well-being, or financial or other forms of assistance.
Healthcare facility support careers present numerous career options; to make informed choices, you need access to all relevant data.
Social support
Social support refers to the feeling that someone has an online network of friends and family that care for them, with someone there when you need help or celebration when something positive has taken place. Social support acts as a powerful stress buffer and may reduce health problems such as cardiovascular disease and PTSD.
Researchers have revealed that people with higher social support levels tend to experience less psychological distress, suicide and unhealthy behaviors as they can effectively handle stressful life events more easily.
Stress and Coping Theory provides one framework for exploring the connection between social support and health, specifically its association with stress levels, and physiological responses such as adaptive appraisals and effective coping responses, social support protects individuals from adverse outcomes caused by stress by providing adaptive appraisals and effective responses; additionally it promotes healthier lifestyle practices and increases psychological well-being through direct physiological effects or indirect neurobiological factors.
Emotional support
Emotional support refers to providing comfort and encouragement to someone experiencing difficulty, whether that means as little as giving someone a hug or as complex as joining an emotional support group which can teach healthy coping mechanisms and discourage self-destructive behaviors.
Nurses are an essential element of healthcare and frequently provide emotional support to their patients. Nurses understand that emotional well-being has an enormous effect on physical well-being; thus, the best way to support a patient is listening with empathy and kindness.
Attentive practitioners can achieve this by asking open-ended questions and offering their undivided attention. Furthermore, they should offer emotional validation by reflecting back the patient’s comments or offering unsolicited advice or offering solutions immediately – this may make the patient feel frustrated. Rather, they should allow the individual to vent and process their feelings freely before providing solutions or making suggestions.
Mental health support
Many of us experience feelings of sadness or “blue” after going through difficult experiences, but if these persist or lead to thoughts of harming oneself or others it may be necessary to visit a professional for diagnosis and advice on treatment, which could include therapy sessions, lifestyle adjustments or medication.
If someone confides they’re thinking about suicide, encourage them to call Samaritans on 116 123 for free support or visit their doctor immediately. You could also help them obtain immediate medical advice by dialling NHS 111 in England & Wales/NHS 111 Scotland for advice or visiting A&E department nearby.
Even though mental health issues remain stigmatized, there are ways of providing support and resources. USAID invests in organizations providing mental health services as well as research for effective treatments; there are also several online tools and apps that help locate mental health professionals near your location.
