Friendship satisfaction is key to happiness among single emerging adults

For young adults who are single, friendships may be the most significant factor in determining happiness, according to a new study published in PLOS One.

Emerging adulthood (ages 18–24) is a transitional period marked by significant social, academic, and career changes. Despite being a large and growing demographic, single individuals in this age group have been understudied in happiness research, which has traditionally focused on those in committed romantic relationships.

However, with nearly 41% of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 29 identifying as single, researchers are now exploring the factors that contribute to the happiness of single individuals on their own terms, rather than in comparison to those in relationships.

Led by Lisa C. Walsh from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the research team analyzed survey data from 1,073 single adults aged 18 to 24 and examined five key factors that influence happiness: friendship satisfaction, family satisfaction, self-esteem, neuroticism (a tendency to experience negative emotions), and extraversion (the tendency to be outgoing and social).

The researchers used latent profile analysis (LPA), a statistical technique that identifies hidden subgroups within a population, to categorize participants into five distinct profiles based on their overall well-being.

The study identified the following five groups:

Very Happy (11%) – These individuals had very high friendship and family satisfaction, strong self-esteem, high extraversion, and very low neuroticism.
Somewhat Happy (27%) – This group also had very high friendship satisfaction and high family satisfaction, self-esteem, and extraversion but slightly higher neuroticism.
Average Happiness (38%) – These individuals had average family satisfaction, self-esteem, and extraversion with somewhat low friendship satisfaction and low neuroticism.
Unhappy (15%) – This group had very low family satisfaction, very low self-esteem, low extraversion, and very high neuroticism. However, their friendships were relatively stable.
Very Unhappy (9%) – These individuals had the lowest friendship and family satisfaction, the lowest self-esteem, and the lowest extraversion. They also had high neuroticism, making them the least happy overall.

One of the most important findings was that friendship satisfaction was the strongest predictor of happiness among single emerging adults. While family support played a role, friendships had a greater impact on life satisfaction.

Another key finding was the importance of having a best friend. Those without a best friend were significantly more likely to fall into the unhappiest group. This suggests that the quality of friendships—rather than just having a large social circle—is essential for emotional well-being.

Interestingly, women were more likely than men to fall into the less happy profiles.

“There are a few noteworthy aspects of our findings,” Walsh and colleagues concluded. “First, 37.9% of single emerging adults were relatively happy, while 23.7% were unhappy. This result challenges the misguided stereotype that singles are usually miserable. Second, singles with disadvantages in one area could compensate with advantages in others to achieve happiness.”

For example, while high neuroticism was generally associated with lower happiness, those with strong friendships could counterbalance this effect.

While the study provides valuable insights, it has some limitations. Because it was cross-sectional (i.e., data was collected at a single point in time), it cannot establish causation. This means it is unclear whether strong friendships cause happiness, or if happier people simply attract more friends.

The study, “Heterogeneity in Happiness: A Latent Profile Analysis of Single Emerging Adults,” was authored by Lisa C. Walsh, Calen Horton, Reed Kaufman, Anthony Rodriguez, and Victor A. Kaufman.