Friendship and mental health across the lifespan.

Friendships are important influences on individual social development from early childhood through adulthood. In addition, social support provided by friends has been linked with positive psychological and physical outcomes, especially in later adulthood. Past research, however, has been limited by non-random samples, a lack of attention to conflict in friendship, or an inability to examine friendship separately from family and other social relations. This dissertation examines close same-sex friendships across the adult life-span. The majority of respondents in this study (N = 1369, aged 21-93 years) reported the existence of a same-sex best friend (N = 1039). Friendship quality, however, differed on several dimensions. Women rated their same-sex best friend more positively than men do, and African American respondents rated their same-sex best friend more positively than White respondents do. In addition, women reported a greater level of intimate disclosure than do men. Multiple regression analyses revealed that very little variation in depressive symptomatology or self-esteem was explained directly by same-sex friendship quality variables (conflict, enjoyment and support indices). However, under conditions of adverse physical health (indicated by the presence of three or more chronic physical health symptoms), friendship quality was strongly predictive of well-being. There were demographic differences in the relationship between friendship quality and mental health. Friendship quality was predictive of well-being for White respondents, but was not for African American respondents. Further, conflict, but not positive aspects of friendship quality, was associated with lower self-esteem for men, while positive ratings, (enjoyment and support) and not conflict, were associated with higher self-esteem for women. The importance of friendship in the context of overall social relations is highlighted, as is the usefulness of assessing both positive and negative aspects of close relationships. Future research that can examine further between-group differences, such as other race or ethnic groups, as well as more in-depth within-group differences is warranted.PhDDevelopmental psychologyPsychologySocial psychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130585/2/9732183.pd