Keep your friends even closer for better mental health

Having strong friendships that last long into your old age is one of the sure ways to have better mental health, a new study found.

The study conducted by the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center (CNADC) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL found that having greater positive social relationships are important for their psychological wellbeing.

“[Our finding] is consistent with previous research demonstrating that social [relationships], engagement with family, and emotional support… positively correlate with [mental function] in older adults,” the researchers, Emily Rogalski, associate professor at CNADC, Amanda Cook, a clinical neuropsychology doctoral student in the laboratory of Rogalski and Sandra Weintraub found.

They added that such friendships contribute to reduced rates of mental decline, and are associated with reduced risk of mental Impairment and dementia

The study brought together 31 people in their 80s but with the mental agility of those in their 50s and 60s, called SuperAgers and 19 average elderly adults.  It looked into aspects such as their autonomy, positive relations with others, their ability to manage their life and environment, their personal growth, purpose in life as well as their self-acceptance.

The research further found that the super agers restated the importance of social integration, engagement with family and emotional support from a social network.  

Aside from the study findings, long term friendships have additional benefits including helping you make better life choices and improving our outlook in life.  They are also our source of solace in tough and lonely times.

To maintain such strong and long term friendship require effort. Showing up when it counts, getting together and checking up on your friends are some of the ways to make friendships work.

Of importance is to make sure that you understand the changes you are going through in your lives and find new and interesting ways to keep the friendship going.