This was concluded from the idea that humans are inherently social beings and are dependent on our surrounding networks for basic needs as well as emotional fulfillment. .
It seems like common sense to consider it today, but an individuals overall well-being and health is linked to positive social interactions on a personal and group dynamic level, and can now also be proven to show a connection to health from a physiologic point of view. .
A significant primary support group around a person is a determining factor for an individual's health and well-being. These primary groups typically consist of primary and extended family members close friends, intimate partners and neighbors, as well as local figures of community support such as priests and teachers. The benefits of having immediate access to these individuals for emotional support have classically been measured as a relation to decrease the risk factors of getting cardiovascular diseases. As stress has been found to be a major factor for plaque accumulation in arteries as well as an established trigger for myocardial infarctions.
Having regular and accessible positive social support to decrease the effects of chronic stressors has been shown as a benefit to ones overall health through quantitative and qualitative research. Helgenson et al, states that there seems to be a positive connection between the extent of a persons social support network and quality of life. The suggestion is that positive and neutral relationships and interactions of an individual with an extensive social support network can help to decrease chronic stressors. These social interaction results in lower number of incidences and severity of cardiovascular disease related illnesses and can also promote positive mental health. The result of the effect on individuals within a positive social support group is a decreased burden of stress, which is perceived to be shared among members of the social group and in turn result in improvement in physiological measures of health.