Here's How Childhood Friendships Benefit You in Adulthood

Start getting some more playdates on the books.

Start setting up more playdates! Data from a multi-decade study published in Psychological Science shows the friendships of kids as young as 6 years old have health benefits that extend well into adulthood. Specifically, kids who spent more time with friends growing up have lower blood pressure and lower BMIs in their early 30s.

Yep, all those afternoons spent climbing trees or trading Pokémon cards with your besties were good for your health. Well, maybe not your health—this particular study only looked at boys. But it’s hard to imagine the protective health effects wouldn’t apply to girls as well. Researchers examined data from 267 boys in the Pittsburgh Youth Study, all recruited from Pittsburgh public schools. As a part of the study, parents recorded how much time their kids spent with friends during an average week from age 6 through age 16. Parents were also asked to record individual characteristics related to a child’s health and personality, as well as environmental factors, like the family’s socioeconomic status.

Even after accounting for those outside factors, childhood health, and even adulthood friendships, researchers say there’s a correlation between childhood friendships and adult health.

“These findings suggest that our early social lives may have a small protective influence on our physical health in adulthood, and it’s not just our caregivers or financial circumstances, but also our friends who may be health protective,” says psychological scientist Jenny Cundiff of Texas Tech University, who co-authored the study.

Of course, we know friendships can be just as crucial in adulthood—but tough to maintain as parenthood turns your schedule and priorities upside down. Don’t worry; there’s an app to make it easier .

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