Social support and human development: Issues in theory, research, and practice

The physical and psychological correlates and consequences of social support have received much attention in the past decade. To date, however, much research on social support has not been guided by an integrated theoretical or conceptual framework. In this report, a life span developmental perspective is suggested for the study of social support. The discussion addresses numerous conceptual, theoretical, and empirical concerns related to the investigation of support. Implications for designing, implementing, and evaluating support-related interventions are highlighted.