Socio-affective Well-being: What It Is And How It Influences Us
One of the worst traps we can fall into when deciding how we want to live is to assume that only we influence our own well-being. That is why the concept of socio-affective well-being is so important.
Throughout this article we will see what socio-affective well-being consists of, and why it is a central concept of both psychology and the social sciences.
Socio-affective well-being is the set of biological, contextual and relational factors that allow us to feel good, in a global and holistic sense. It is, in short, feeling good about yourself and the material and social context in which you live.
It is important to keep in mind, for example, that people who have all basic needs covered (that is, those that have to do with maintaining a good state of health in real time, or in the very short term) can feel very bad for various reasons: a work environment in which punishments prevail, a poor social life, etc.
That is why, just as mental disorders are not simply experienced “from the inside out”, but the environment also influences how we live, the same goes for our well-being.
The concept of socio-affective well-being makes happiness and health go from being phenomena that must be treated individually to much more complex phenomena, for which public and collective management of the environment also counts. Consequently, the public administration also has the duty to be concerned about this issue.
To help better understand what socioemotional well-being consists of, it is good to review some examples of aspects of our environment that influence this. Let’s see them.
1. Presence or absence of abuse
This is a very important element, and even more so considering that abuse is not always physical nor does it lead to injuries but it can become psychological and very subtle.
2. Quantity of social and environmental stimuli
Living in a place with a very rich variety of novelties and stimuli is not the same as living in a solitary cabin in the middle of a desert. In the long run, monotony and lack of news leave a mark on mental health.
3. Presence or absence of discrimination
Discrimination continues to be a very present social problem that is suffered by various groups in vulnerable situations. Therefore, it has an impact on the socio-emotional well-being of the people who suffer this discrimination firsthand and, to a lesser extent, on that of the rest of the citizens, who have evidence of the fragility of the social fabric in which they live.
4. Presence of a supportive culture
Solidarity allows less fortunate people to receive help from those who are in a better situation. Due, It is a logic that runs in the opposite direction to individualism and is based on a collectivist conception of society in which socio-affective well-being is of great importance.
Socio-affective well-being in the vital stages
The needs to which socio-affective well-being must respond evolve as we go through the stages of life. Let’s look at several examples of this.
During childhood, physical contact with the father or mother becomes especially important, as well as the existence of a communication rich in both the content and the emotional charge that is expressed through gestures and language.
Additionally, it is important to have a rich environment that promotes learning and the development of curiosity.
Adolescence
In adolescence, the fact of having healthy relationships with peer group members (friends and classmates). Our own identity and self-esteem develop, to a large extent, depending on how other people treat us.
Post-adolescence
From approximately 15 to 20 years of age, the need to develop an independent life and perceive one’s own self-efficacy. Knowing you are capable of doing everything that adults do allows you to feel part of society.
Adulthood
From approximately 20 to 45 years of age, social problems and intellectual concerns become more important. Access to culture, to be able to learn in a self-taught way, gain strength, since they seek to cultivate their own knowledge. At the same time, we stop giving so much importance to the opinions of others about oneself, given that the self-concept is much better consolidated than before.
Mature age
At this stage there is a tendency to value stability more in relation to what has been achieved over the years. In the same way, the risk of isolation due to a frequent decline in the number of friends It also worries and can endanger socio-affective well-being.
