A new taxonomy of social support: Clarifying supportive behaviours and measures

While social support is widely recognised as a protective factor against loneliness and other health concerns, research findings remain inconsistent. Discrepant findings can result from heterogeneous conceptualisation and measurement of social support, which is often viewed as a broad, undifferentiated resource. This narrative review synthesises definitions and measures of social support, constructing a robust new taxonomy. Searches of three major research databases found numerous papers describing taxonomies and questionnaires assessing social support. A synthesis of the most highly cited papers included 10 distinct taxonomies and questionnaires. The new taxonomy comprises five core dimensions: (1) Emotional support (sympathetic listening, affection, and esteem support), (2) Social contact and companionship, (3) Belonging support (4) Information and guidance support, and (5) Tangible support. Detailed descriptions of specific behaviours corresponding to each support dimension are provided. These can help guide the design and assessment of social support interventions across clinical, organisational, and educational settings.