Social support refers to one's social bonds, social integration, and primary group relations – all concepts central to sociological theory and research. Social bonds and supportive relationships with others are essential to mental health; furthermore, social support can protect one from the effects of stress. Turner and Lewis Brown overview the various conceptual understandings of social support that guide the research literature, demonstrating how social support is a multidimensional concept involving perceived, structural, and received support. The major hypothesis behind a large body of research is that low levels of social support increase the risk for depressive symptomatology. Although studies consistently find support for this hypothesis, the models that explain how social support affects mental health (as a main effect or as a mediating variable) differ. The degree to which social support affects one's mental health (main effect) and the degree to which it buffers the effects of stress (mediating effect) also vary across different social status groups of the population. Social status (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, marital status) affects the availability of social support, as well as one's exposure to stress. It is also probable that one's mental health status and personality influence the availability and perception of social support. Whom do you have available for support in your networks, and whom would you actually approach for support in a variety of stressful situations (i.e., getting sick, doing poorly in school, an unwanted pregnancy)?