Social Networks, Support, and Coping: An Exploratory Study

This paper reports a study that investigated the areas of stress, support, and coping, using the structural model of the social network. The social network model is borrowed from sociology and anthropology and is used to describe and quantify not only an individual's immediate family but also all of those with whom the individual has regular contact. By comparing the networks of a sample of "normal" and schizophrenic males, it was possible to identify differences in their relationships to their social networks, in the make-up of the networks themselves, and in the coping styles and recent histories of the subjects. The results suggest, first, that the network model can be used to investigate the larger social system with which individuals interact and, second, that it may be a valuable approach to the expansion of family research.