Social support: relationships of trust

Social support is very important and highly relevant indicator when it comes to integration and health. Persons who do not have sufficient relationships of trust may face problems with their integration: relationships with others and belonging to various social networks are an important part of life in society. Relationships at work and in one’s private life and the support that these provide allow individuals to better control their daily life and to participate more widely in social life. The type and intensity of social contacts provide an indication of the social integration of individuals and their belonging to a social network. The social relationships that are at a person’s disposal and the support that they can find from these contribute to their well-being. While certain social resources have a direct impact on health, others have a more indirect effect, quite like “shock absorbers” in crisis situations.

In 2017, 96% of the population aged 15 and over said that they had relationships of trust with one or several people. The share of people who said that they had some social support varied significantly by migration status: the population without a migration background had a higher rate than that with a migration background (97% compared with 94%). Although the second generation said that they had relationships of trust to the same extent as the population without a migration background, the rate for the first generation was lower (94%).

An analysis by major region showed that the share of persons saying that they had relationships of trust with one or several persons by migration status showed almost the same configuration across the board. In all the major regions, people with a migration background said that they benefited less often from social support than those without a migration background. These differences are however only significant in three major regions: in the Lake Geneva region, in Espace Mittelland and in Eastern Switzerland.