A growing number of young adults are single, and researchers are increasingly looking at their satisfaction with life Young, single adults' happiness is strongly linked to having good friends, a new study shows Researchers say this group should make long-term friendships a priority THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- If you're a 20-something who is unattached, having good friends is a key to happiness, new research shows. "The quality of your friendships is a key factor for your well-being, especially if you're single," a team led by Lisa Walsh , a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported Oct.
2 in the journal PLOS One . "We found that singles who were satisfied with their friendships tended to be happy with their lives, while those dissatisfied with their friendships were less happy," they added in a journal news release. Other research has found that Americans in their early 20s tend to be less happy than at other times of life -- and a growing percentage of folks in that age group are not in long-term relationships.
While researchers are increasingly looking at single folks as a group, few studies have zeroed in on sub-groups, such as younger adults. This one analyzed responses to a survey of 1,073 single adults between the ages of 18 and 24. They were asked about their overall happiness as well as five factors that predict happiness: self-esteem, neuroticism, outgoingness, satisfaction with family and satisfaction with .