4,976 Ss (aged 14–66 yrs), of whom 54% were female, were administered a social support questionnaire that measured social participation, interpersonal interaction, and social resources. Items were categorized into 2 content dimensions: social resources (neighborhood family acquaintances, number of close friends, getting along with others, and voluntary group membership) and social contacts (telephone contacts, visits, letters, attendance at religious services, and level of group activity). Data indicate that social support is conceptually and empirically distinct from physical and mental components of health status. In contrast to these components of health status, social support was found to be a heterogeneous concept with relatively weak relationships between and within its major components. Subjective evaluations of personal relationships were found to be useful criteria for determining levels of social contacts and resources. Such levels seem to be generalizable across diverse populations. Social support constructs were found to be stable over 1-yr retest intervals. Although social support seemed to have a positive effect on health status, particularly on its mental components, no support was found for the hypothesis that life events and social support interact.(3 p ref)(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)