According to Axer's definition a social network is a certain number of people with whom a person remains contact. These people provide stimuli - both positive and negative. In everyday life and even more during the periods of disease all people need to experience positive aspects of their network - especially support.

The purpose of the research is to analyze the structure of social networks as well as types and sources of support received by patients with bipolar affective disease (BID).

The study group consisted of euthymic outpatients (40 patients). The control group consisted of healthy volunteers of sex and age corresponding to the case group. Assessment of a structure of a social network and the amount of support received was made according to Bizoń's questionnaire and Cohen's ISEL.

It has been shown that social networks of BID patients differ from the ones of healthy people. Patients have social networks characterized by the structure and activity comparable with that of healthy people. But often there is only one person who carries the whole burden of support. When compared to the control group these patients receive less support, and the emotional support is the most deficient.

Information about a patient's social network may be helpful when planning treatment in hospital as well as preparing psychosocial interventions in an outpatients' clinic. The information enables to recognize deficiencies so as to make attempts to reorganize or reconstruct a network.