Adult Family Relationships in the Context of Friendship

Abstract

Relationships with family and friends have been found to consistently influence adult well-being. This study explored the complex and interactive nature of family and friend relationships by examining whether the longitudinal effects of positive and negative family relationship quality on well-being differ in the context of positive friendships. Adults with a best friend were sampled from the longitudinal Social Relations, Aging, and Health Study (N = 455). Among respondents with a highly positive friend relationship, less negative family relationships were linked to better health and self-esteem. Findings provide insight into the complex ways social relations impact positive outcomes in adulthood.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH46549 and MH066876) and the National Institute on Aging (AG13490 and AG030569).

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