Chapter 17. Well-Being
WB.35: Deep Dive – Social Support Strengthens Immune System
Approximate reading time: 1 minute
Even in nonhuman animals, species mates can offer social support during times of stress. For example, elephants seem to be able to sense when other elephants are stressed and will often comfort them with physical contact — such as a trunk touch — or an empathetic vocal response (Krumboltz, 2014). This aspect of social support is not just emotional but also physiological, as it can boost the immune system. When we receive support, especially in stressful situations, our body’s defense mechanisms are strengthened, enhancing our ability to ward off illnesses.
Image Attributions
Figure SUP WB.12. Photo by David Heiling on Unsplash
To calculate this time, we used a reading speed of 150 words per minute and then added extra time to account for images and videos. This is just to give you a rough idea of the length of the chapter section. How long it will take you to engage with this chapter will vary greatly depending on all sorts of things (the complexity of the content, your ability to focus, etc).
