On Social Support

In the October issue of APA's Monitor on Psychology there appear a couple of short articles on social support. One ("Reducing Stress Helps Both Brain and Body") discusses the stress tempering effects of increased social support. The other ("Restaurants Serve Social Substence") talks about the social support found by regular customers in restaurants. Places, such as restaurants, are sometimes termed "third places" due to occupying a third place in people's lives after work and home. I would think many recreational activities (e.g., being on a team, belonging to a club) provide a "third place" where social support may be found.

Past ATRA President Bryan McCormick has long recognized the importance of social support in mental health. He studies social support as a major part of his work at Indiana University. Those who wish to learn more about social support may wish to read McCormick's chapter,"Social Support in Therapeutic Recreation," that appears in Austin, Dattilo, and McCormick's Venture Publishing book Conceptual Foundations for Therapeutic Recreation.