The chapter discusses the health-related functions of social support, highlighting the lack of clarity in defining social support and its conceptualization in research. The study by Schaefer, Coyne, and Lazarus examines the relationship between social network size and three types of perceived social support (tangible, emotional, and informational) in relation to stressful life events, psychological symptoms, and physical health status among 100 individuals aged 45–64. Key findings include: 1. **Social Network Size**: This was separable from perceived social support but correlated with it, showing a weaker overall relationship to outcomes. 2. **Perceived Social Support**: - **Tangible Support**: Low tangible support, along with certain life events, was independently related to depression and negative morale. - **Emotional Support**: Low emotional support was also linked to depression and negative morale. - **Informational Support**: Positive morale was associated with informational support. 3. **Physical Health**: Neither social support nor stressful life events were significantly associated with physical health. The authors conclude that social support research benefits from a more nuanced understanding of the multidimensionality of support and more specific hypotheses about the relationship between types of support and health outcomes. They emphasize the need to distinguish between social network size and perceived social support, which are often treated interchangeably in existing studies, limiting the integration of findings and the generalizability of results.The chapter discusses the health-related functions of social support, highlighting the lack of clarity in defining social support and its conceptualization in research. The study by Schaefer, Coyne, and Lazarus examines the relationship between social network size and three types of perceived social support (tangible, emotional, and informational) in relation to stressful life events, psychological symptoms, and physical health status among 100 individuals aged 45–64. Key findings include: 1. **Social Network Size**: This was separable from perceived social support but correlated with it, showing a weaker overall relationship to outcomes. 2. **Perceived Social Support**: - **Tangible Support**: Low tangible support, along with certain life events, was independently related to depression and negative morale. - **Emotional Support**: Low emotional support was also linked to depression and negative morale. - **Informational Support**: Positive morale was associated with informational support. 3. **Physical Health**: Neither social support nor stressful life events were significantly associated with physical health. The authors conclude that social support research benefits from a more nuanced understanding of the multidimensionality of support and more specific hypotheses about the relationship between types of support and health outcomes. They emphasize the need to distinguish between social network size and perceived social support, which are often treated interchangeably in existing studies, limiting the integration of findings and the generalizability of results.