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A recent study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE highlights the significant role that satisfying friendships play in the happiness of young single adults. Conducted by Lisa Walsh and her team at the University of California, Los Angeles, the research sheds light on the unique challenges and experiences faced by single Americans entering adulthood.
The study, released on October 2, 2024, comes at a time when prior research indicates that individuals in their early 20s may experience lower levels of happiness compared to other life stages. Notably, an increasing number of young adults are remaining single or are not in long-term romantic relationships, prompting researchers to explore the distinct experiences of this demographic.
Walsh and her colleagues conducted an analysis using data from an online survey of 1,073 single American adults aged 18 to 24. Participants were asked about their overall happiness and five predictors of happiness: satisfaction with family, satisfaction with friends, self-esteem, neuroticism, and extraversion.
To assess the diverse experiences of participants, the researchers employed latent profile analysis, a method that identifies subgroups within a population based on shared characteristics. The analysis revealed five distinct profiles among the respondents, each characterized by unique combinations of the five predictors and varying levels of happiness.
Key Findings:
- Individuals classified in Profile 1, who reported the highest levels of happiness, exhibited positive scores across all five predictors, including high satisfaction with friendships and low neuroticism.
- Conversely, Profile 5 participants, identified as the least happy group, displayed unfavorable scores across all five predictors.
- The study found that while some predictors negatively impacted happiness, higher satisfaction with friendships emerged as a strong positive influence, potentially offsetting lower scores in other areas.
The researchers emphasize the importance of fostering meaningful, long-term friendships for young single adults. They recommend that individuals in this age group prioritize friendship quality to enhance overall well-being.
“Our standout finding is the profound impact friendships have on the happiness of single emerging adults,” said Walsh. “Singles who are satisfied with their friendships tend to report higher life satisfaction, whereas those with unsatisfactory friendships experience lower happiness. The quality of your friendships is crucial for your well-being, especially if you’re single.”
Despite these significant findings, the authors acknowledge the need for further research to explore the causal relationships between happiness and the various predictors examined in the study.
The research contributes to a growing body of evidence recognizing the unique experiences of single young adults and the essential role of social connections in their overall happiness.
For more details on the study, refer to Heterogeneity in happiness: A latent profile analysis of single emerging adults, published in PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310196.
