Learn that regular social interactions are capable of eradicating loneliness as well as enhance wellness by a study that was conducted recently. Find out why it is beneficial to focus on having deep talks and meeting people in person for the sake of one’s mental well-being and happiness.
Study presented in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal provides data proving that meaningful interpersonal relationships improve people’s average levels of happiness and minimize loneliness. Carried out by the team of researchers from Stanford University the study examined three groups of university students during three years where the investigators were paying special attention to the subjects’ interactions as well as their gradual and continuous affective states.
The aggravating factor here is that such conversations are also a unique and substantive activity that leads to stakeholders’ overall affective improvement in terms of well-being, stress levels, and perceived loneliness. Based on the study, it was discovered that meaningful social contact has net positive impact on affective well-being, stress, and loneliness, according to the study’s leading author, Mahnaz Roshanaei from Stanford University.
Addressing all those with both high and low levels of connection in more intensive and meaningful ways proves beneficial to the average person’s well-being gains she also noted.
Therefore, the study shows that if people communicate face to face, their benefits or gains, if you will, are higher than if they simply text or DM. Face-to-face communication, although active during the breaks, positively increased the well-being indicating that non-task related activities had a beneficial effect on the clients.
Nevertheless, the present study also has drawbacks; most relate to the sample population, which only consists of university students in the United States. Researchers also note that the results may not generalize to perhaps different generations or different cultures.
The results of this study can be applied in constructing the individual intervention-oriented practice for healthy social relations promotion such as recommendations of social support and interactions.
This research offers an opportunity to understand the significance of meaningful social relationships for emotional health and underlines the significance of people’s genuine connections in the modern world that is full of available options and technologies, but also loneliness.
