Health Benefits of Friendship
Friendship may help you maintain a healthy brain. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that social integration through marriage, volunteer work or socializing with children and neighbors delayed memory loss in older adults. Another study concluded that positive social support could even improve mental performance in aging adults.
Reviewed by:
Review Date:
March 7, 2014Citation:
Cleveland Clinic, “The Health Benefits of Friendship” American Psychological Association, “The presence of a best friend buffers the effects of negative experiences” American Journal of Public Health, “Effects of Social Integration on Preserving Memory Function in a Nationally Representative U Harvard Medical School, “Preventing memory loss” Journal of Clinical Oncology, “Social Networks, Social Support, and Survival After Breast Cancer Diagnosis” The New York Times, “What Are Friends For? A Longer Life” Development and Psychopathology, “Can friends protect genetic vulnerable children from depression?” Mental Health Foundation, “Friendship and Mental Health” The New York Times, “Obesity spreads to friends, study concludes” PLOS One, “An Actor-Based Model of Social Network Influence on Adolescent Body Size, Screen Time, and Playing Sports” Daily Strength, “The Friendship Diet - How Your Friends Influence Your Weight” Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, “Social networks, social support, and burden in relationships, and mortality after breast University of Minnesota, “Why Personal Relationships Are Important” Scope by Stanford Medicine, “How loneliness can impact the immune system” AARP, “5 Ways to Get More Out of Friendship” Courtesy of Arne9001 | Dreamstime Courtesy of Mystock88photo | Dreamstime Courtesy of Andres Rodriguez | Dreamstime Courtesy of Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime Courtesy of L Hill | Dreamstime Courtesy of Edyta Pawlowska | Dreamstime Courtesy of Ruslan Huzau | Dreamstime Courtesy of Frances Fruit | Dreamstime Courtesy of Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime Courtesy of Ileanaolaru | Dreamstime Courtesy of Andres Rodriguez | Dreamstime
Last Updated:
July 1, 2014