International Friendship Day 2022: Impact of friendship on mental health

Friendship is a cherished relationship. It helps in improving lifestyle, causing positive changes in the life. It also helps in bringing happiness and is built out of mutual respect and love. 

A true friendship can change the whole course of a person's life. It is a kind of relationship that goes beyond all kinds of barriers and is built on acceptance, affection and respect.

Friendship also impacts the mental health in a lot of ways. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Syed Zafar Sultan Rizvi, Assistant Professor, Deptt. Of Psychology, SLA, Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences, Noida International University noted down the effects of friendship on a person's mental health:

Social support system: Friendship is born out of a person's social environment. 

It also acts as a social support system for the person and helps him to navigate through life.

When close friendship increases, it also facilitates the self esteem and psychosocial adjustment, and significantly decreases the level of stress, anxiety and depression. 

Even for younger adults, those have friendships in preadolescence period are more likely to develop higher level of enjoyment, intimacy, emotional support, sensitivity, loyalty mutual affection and higher quality of life.

Friendship also reduce the chance of being victimised by peers. If victimisation occurs, it buffers the negative effect. Children who are victimised by peers often express hostility, aggression, or withdrawal from social interactions.

Cognitive resources: Reciprocal friendships can supply cognitive and affective resources, foster a sense of well-being, socialise both parties, facilitate mastery of age-related tasks, and provide developmental advantages that can extend into old age but without much emphasis on research basis.