Abstract

Supportive communication is verbal and nonverbal behavior produced to assist others in need of aid. The study of supportive communication and health emphasizes functional, behavior-focused approaches to conceptualizing and operationalizing social support, along with the psychological and behavioral pathways through which social support affects health. This chapter situates supportive communication relative to the broader study of social support and overviews research and theory connecting supportive communication and health in both offline and online contexts. Most of this research addresses the quantity, quality, and impact of supportive communication for people with specific health conditions or concerns.