The social support that people can experience, especially that which comes from the immediate emotional circle such as the family, can be crucial to having a good performance in life and be reflected in positive impacts on mental and physical health.
MADRID, Oct. 17 (EUROPA PRESS).- We all want the same thing: to be happyfeel complete and have success in the life. We spent years searching for secret formulastriving, working hard, accumulating things and pursuing goalsbut many times we feel that something is missing. The happiness and the welfare They always seem to be just out of reach, and no matter how hard we try, we keep wondering what really matters.
The curious thing is that, in the middle of this search constant, what we want most –feel connectedsupported and accompanied– is within reach.
The pursuit of happiness and success
People who feel supported by family, friends and colleagues tend to have better mental health, perform more effectively at work and experience positive results in other areas such as physical health, education and risk behaviors, according to research published by the American Psychological Association by experts from the National University of Singapore (Singapore). The research is published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
#Health | The #SaludMental It has been a topic that has been treated differently according to its time.
For example, the #psychiatry had long been associated with cruelty.
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“This study highlights the importance of considering associations between multiple types and sources of perceived social support and the various
areas of human development,” said lead author Dr. GeckHong Yeo of the National University of Singapore.
“Our findings also suggest that adolescents, in particular, may benefit from perceived social support, especially from their parents, to improve their physical health and reduce risk behaviors,” he said.
Social support and its benefits
When it comes to social support, researchers usually talk about two types: received support and perceived support. Received support refers to the actual help that people receive, while perceived support refers to the belief that help would be available if they needed it. The researchers in this study chose to focus on perceived social support because previous evidence suggests that it plays a more crucial role in human development.
#RadioUNAMRecuerda that today is the #WorldMentalHealthDaya day to make visible the problems linked to psychological well-being, promote collective care and reaffirm that mental health is a right that must be guaranteed to all people
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The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 604 studies, with more than 894,000 participants, to explore how perceived social support influenced well-being in five areas: mental health, physical health, risk behaviors, academic performance, and work performance. The studies were conducted in more than 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, Indonesia, Taiwan and Nigeria. The majority of participants (60 percent) came from the United States or European countries.
“On average, perceived social support showed the greatest associations with better mental health and better work performance,” Yeo noted. “Perceived social support also demonstrated significant associations with better physical health, lower risk behaviors, and better academic performance,” he said.
Implications for society
While there was no significant difference in the effect by gender, the impact of perceived social support did vary by age and culture. For example, having strong perceived support appeared to be more important for avoiding risky behavior and staying physically healthy during childhood and adolescence than in adulthood. Furthermore, support was more closely related to good school performance in non-Western cultures, while in Western cultures it was more closely linked to work performance.
Why is it so difficult to talk about what you feel?
Today, on World Mental Health Day, let us remember that there is nothing wrong with not being well. Mental health is as vital as physical health, and asking for help is an act of courage, not weakness. pic.twitter.com/da3DJllgI0— Bioética UNAM (@bioeticaunam) October 10, 2025
The findings suggest that fostering strong social connections can improve well-being and success in various areas of life, according to Yeo.
“By identifying the most important types and sources of support, we can design specific interventions to improve mental health, physical health, and overall quality of life,” the researchers summarized.
“Our findings can help policymakers, health professionals and social service providers build networks
of support that promote development in different areas of life and contribute to general well-being,” they concluded.
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