| Abstract |
The emotional state of an individual is continuously affected by positive or negative events on a daily basis. Support from a person’s social environment can be helpful for coping with the more stressful periods. For example, support through a person’s social network can prevent or help avoiding or getting through a depression by reducing stress and social disengagement. In this work a computational model of such a social environment is presented: a network for mutual support. Stressors and support extend over time; the model shows these dynamics over time. The model quantifies the amount of support given to different persons in different situations. If a certain person is more stressed, this results in more support from others. When more persons are able to provide support this results in even better coping with stress. Moreover, the model can be personalised: it is able to make distinctions in personal characteristics between persons. The model has been evaluated by simulation experiments and by verification based on mathematical analysis. The proposed model behaves according to predictions. |