What is Friendship? Mental Health and Emotional Support

Medically reviewed by Corey Pitts, MA, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS

Updated December 10, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

Friendships can be among the most important and meaningful personal relationships we experience. Unlike familial bonds, true friendships are chosen, nurtured, and sustained through mutual effort and care. While the dynamics between good friends may change, the core values and experiences that friends have had together can help to maintain healthy friendships over time.

Developing friendships may be important for both mental and physical health, and people with close friendships may experience an enhanced quality of life. While it may be easy for some people to make friends, not everyone feels comfortable when starting new relationships. In this article, we’ll answer “What is friendship?” and provide strategies for developing healthy relationships with friends.

Two female friends sit on a park bench while laughing with one another. — Getty/

What is friendship?

At its core, friendship is a bond between two people that extends beyond mere acquaintance or casual interactions. Most friendships include mutual care, appreciation, and understanding of one another. While many friends enjoy spending time together, the bond of good friendships extends beyond this and may include developing trust and providing emotional support.

Friendship may exist on a spectrum, and not all friendships stand the test of time or develop into close relationships. What is friendship? Real friendship is usually a bond that can stand the tests of time and distance. In some cases, this bond may be built on mutual experiences or challenges overcome together. Even after plenty of time apart, close friends can pick up where they left off.

Elements of genuine friendship

Friendship may look different for different people and cultures. There are some typical elements of friendship that people have in common. Some of the elements that define friendships may include:

Trust and honesty. Growing any healthy relationship, whether it be a romantic relationship or a friendship, may start with building trust. Genuine friendship may require that each person in the relationship trust the other. Building trust may involve being dependable and open with your friends about your feelings and acting in their best interest.
Mutual respect and care. Best friends typically care and respect one another. This mutual respect may be what ensures that both parties feel valued and cared for. It can also contribute to feelings of equality or fairness in the friendship.
Emotional support and empathy. Friends usually know they can lean on each other when times get tough or if they need support. Having a best friend to talk with and bounce ideas off of can help manage life’s challenges. By providing emotional support for one another, friends can also develop a strong sense of empathy and understanding for the other person.
Shared history. For many people, time and longevity can help to build a strong friendship. Friends may take on many of life’s challenges together, which may strengthen their bond.

Characteristics that strengthen friendships

Friendships are relationships that can be strengthened over time, and there are friendship skills that you can develop that may help to build stronger connections. Some characteristics that may help to strengthen relationships between friends may include emotional support, vulnerability, and communication.

Strong emotional support

Friends can be a source of strong emotional support. When two friends support one another, their friendship may grow stronger. Being a source of support can build trust and may be a way of showing dependability and consistency. Close friends may discuss challenges that they are going through and may be able to provide each other with support and strategies for moving forward in the face of adversity.

Vulnerability

Building trust may require both friends to be vulnerable when with one another. Being vulnerable can mean opening up to a friend in a way that you do not with other people. This may include discussing personal challenges or struggles. When two friends are vulnerable, it can help to build trust and may bring them closer together.

Communication

Communication may serve as the foundation of any relationship, including close friendships. Good friends can often communicate openly with each other. Clear and honest communication can help friends avoid conflicts or potential pitfalls and may provide opportunities for feedback. Communication may include discussing personal dreams, ideas or thoughts, or simple updates on a regular basis.

Two middle aged male friends sit on the front porch steps while smiling and chatting as they hold cups of coffee. — Getty/MoMo Productions

Physical and mental health benefits of friendship

While it is nice to have a close group of friends to spend time with, friendship may also have physical and mental health benefits. The following are some of the ways that friendship may improve physical and mental health:

Physical health benefits

The physical health benefits of friendship may include a lower risk of cardiovascular conditions. Research suggests that people who can attend social events with their best friends or other friends may have lower stress and anxiety, which, in turn, may lower the risk of heart disease or high blood pressure. Friendship and social connection may also be linked to lower mortality rates overall when compared with social isolation.

Mental health benefits

The mental health benefits of friendship are well documented, with friendship leading to reduced anxiety, stress, and incidents of depression. Friendship can provide support and a network of trust, which can reduce feelings of anxiety around major life events. It may also provide a means of self-validation when uncertainties arise.

Building and maintaining friendships

While friendship may be an important part of living a happy and healthy life, it can be challenging at times to build and maintain friendships. Two of the major challenges that friendships can face are miscommunication and conflicts. In some cases, miscommunications may also cause a conflict, especially as individuals grow from adolescence into adulthood and their lives become busier and more complicated.

In some cases, friends may grow apart, and this can happen for a variety of reasons. For some friends, their values or needs may change. Friends may have met and had a lot in common when they were young teens, but after a few years, they may lose common interests, which can make it challenging to remain close. However, even when friends grow apart, they may be able to rekindle a friendship after years apart.

Can social media improve friendship?

Social media has changed the way that friends interact with one another. With social media, there can be both benefits and drawbacks for friendship. Friends can easily stay in touch over long distances. What may be negative is that friends may rely on social media for connection, leading to superficial interactions. The key to using social media to improve friendships may be to find balance and consistency.

What is friendship on social media?

Friendship may look different on social media than it does in real life. Interacting on social media typically allows for an instantaneous connection and delivery of communication. What this means is that friends can send videos, tag each other, and interact online at all hours. This may open up new ways of communicating with one another and can enhance friendships. Friends can also send audio messages digitally, which can help to maintain a relationship even over great distances.

Possible negative impacts of social media on friendships

Social media can also negatively affect some friendships. Communication may become less frequent as friends may simply scroll each other’s feeds. This can lead to friends staying connected but not growing their relationship. Friends may use short check-ins on social media as a substitute for in-person visits with their friends.

Two female friends sit cross legged on the livignr oom couch while laughing. — Getty/Olga Rolenko

Finding mental and emotional support when building friendships

Building and maintaining a friendship can be challenging, and friendships may face many obstacles. Working with a therapist can be a way to build the skills that you need to make new friends and deepen old friendships. If you don’t have time for traditional in-person therapy, you might find support through online therapy.

Online therapy sessions can occur anywhere with an internet connection and personal device, which means that you can attend sessions from the comfort of your own home. With online therapy, you also are not limited to working with therapists in your local area, which gives you the flexibility to choose a therapist who fits your needs, regardless of location.

Online therapy may be an effective way to reduce the impact of several mental health conditions while also building communication skills that can improve friendships. An online therapist may provide you with tailored support and mindfulness activities that can help you communicate more effectively with your friends.

Takeaway

Building and maintaining friendships can be an important part of living a happy and healthy life. Research suggests that friendship may be linked to physical and mental health benefits, and close friends can support you during hard times. Maintaining strong friendships typically involves strong communication skills, vulnerability, and trust.

If you’re experiencing challenges related to friendship, you may benefit from speaking with a therapist, whether in person or online. A therapist may be able to help you address your unique concerns and develop stronger friendships. Take the first step toward getting support with friendship and contact BetterHelp today.

Frequently asked questions

Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.

What is friendship?

Friendship can be described as a relationship between two or more people who care about and support each other. A close friendship can be platonic, but romantic partners can also be considered friends. Often, true friendships can boost each other’s self-confidence and self-esteem, promoting happiness even in challenging times.

What is a friendship with someone on social media?

A friendship on social media generally involves being able to view each other’s profiles, message each other, and see each other’s recent updates on your feed.

How do you define friendship in an essay?

What is friendship? You can define friendship in an essay for school by discussing the official definition of friendship and then explaining what friendship means to you, perhaps explaining the characteristics you value in a friend and why such qualities are important. You might include anecdotes or quotes from your parents or family members about friendship as well. Your essay could also touch on the ways in which men tend to make true friends and compare them to the ways in which women tend to foster meaningful friendships.

How do you define the best friendship?

The best friendship may be defined by mutual respect, trust, compassion, and enjoyment. When you interact with a good friend, you may feel comfortable engaging in self-disclosure and knowing that even if you’re experiencing a particular problem, they may be able to offer advice and support.

What is friendship in one word?

You could describe friendship with the word “connection.”

What does friendship mean to me?

To explore what friendship means to you, think about the friendships you’ve experienced and the types of friendships you’d like to have. If you struggle to make and maintain friendships, consider speaking to a licensed therapist for professional insight and guidance. They can help you learn about how to be a true friend, develop conflict resolution skills, and approach each interaction with a new friend from a healthy and compassionate perspective.

What is friendship, and what's the main point of it?

While the main point of friendship can be seen as subjective, most believe mutual support is a crucial part of it.

What is the full meaning of “friend”?

The word “friend” is defined as “one attached to another by affection or esteem” and “a favored companion", according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

What is the main message about friendship, mental health, and emotional support?

Friends and strong social connections can be crucial for mental health and well-being. They often provide emotional support and reduce isolation. Whether you have a big group of friends or a few close friends, and whether you like to spend time together at a dinner party or a more low-key social event, spending time with acquaintances and people you enjoy can promote overall health.

What is the meaning of “so-called friendships”?

When someone refers to another person as a “so-called friend,” they are usually indicating that that person is not a true friend. They may lack authenticity or act in a deceitful way. Most people understand the feeling of being betrayed by a friend and may be willing to have a conversation about the experience.

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