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Friendship and Happiness Among Middle-Aged Adults

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Friendship and Happiness

Abstract

Mid-life is a developmental stage characterized by changing social, health, and intrapersonal factors that influence the relationship between friendship and happiness. However, research in this area is sparse because prior studies have tended to focus on young and/or older adults. The purpose of this review is to summarize the more recent theoretical and empirical investigations on friendship and happiness among middle-aged adults. Taken together, findings suggest that the relative benefit of friendship and its relationship to happiness during this particular developmental stage is sensitive to the context in which these exchanges take place, gender, and even the specific age range within the broader mid-life distinction. Future research is needed to identify both the moderators of the association between friendship and happiness, in addition to the mediators that can illuminate the specific mechanisms through which friendships are related to well-being.

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  1. Adelphi University, Garden city, NY, USA

    Katherine L. Fiori & Christy A. Denckla

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  1. Katherine L. Fiori
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Correspondence to Katherine L. Fiori .

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  1. Department of Psychology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

    Melikşah Demir

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Fiori, K., Denckla, C. (2015). Friendship and Happiness Among Middle-Aged Adults. In: Demir, M. (eds) Friendship and Happiness. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9603-3_8

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