A Critical Study On Socializing And Its Benefits On Mental Health

Social relationships encompasses a wide variety of aspects relating to the proximal and distal social environment. Distal environment includes the broader social structure of opportunities for social integration (e.g. cultural, labour market, neighbourhood) and its quality (e.g. social capital). Aspects of the distal social environment are excluded from this review as direct effects on health and wellbeing are usually weak or absent after analyzing their mediation through proximal factors, and as evidence for populations with disabilities is widely lacking. Our work therefore focuses on two leading sociological concepts that analyse proximal factors of social relationships, namely social networks and social support. Social networks describe the size, density, frequency and duration of social contacts, whereas social support emphasizes the functional significance in terms of providing instrumental, emotional or informational resources. Important further aspects concern the quality of and satisfaction with support received and the distinction between perceived and received support. Socialization can help improve our mental and emotional health. Spending time with your friends and family in-person alleviates symptoms of depression. Loneliness is one of the most difficult feelings a person can experience. Socializing can lower blood pressure and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.