A new, long-term study has upended the widespread assumption that romantic relationships are a primary buffer against depression, revealing that single individuals who enter into romantic partnerships are actually more likely to experience greater depressive symptoms. In contrast, forging new close friendships provides significant protection against depression, particularly for Thai adults navigating the complexities of modern life.
The research, recently published in the June 2025 issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, tracks almost 3,000 participants from adolescence to adulthood at ages 15, 16, 28, and 38. Each time, participants were surveyed about their relationship statuses—whether they had a romantic partner or at least one close friend—and how depressed they felt in those periods (Psychology Today).
Why is this important for Thai readers? Thai society, like much of the world, often prioritizes romantic relationships as the cornerstone of well-being. From family pressure to participate in engagements and weddings to mainstream media celebrating romance, there is a deeply held belief that having a romantic partner is a mark of personal fulfillment and a remedy for loneliness or sadness. This new study challenges those preconceptions and invites a necessary reckoning with how friendships—traditionally overshadowed—play a crucial role in mental health.
The study’s most surprising and consistent finding was this: single people who entered romantic relationships experienced greater levels of depression, regardless of whether they were 15, 16, 28, or 38 years old. In other words, contrary to common expectations, romance did not ease depression but rather coincided with increased depressive symptoms for new couples at all life stages examined. This finding upends the cultural scripts fed by both Thai soap operas and everyday conversation, in which finding love is portrayed as the solution to unhappiness.
The news is far brighter when it comes to friendship. Adults aged 28 and 38 who went from having no close friends to having at least one close confidante reported a decrease in depressive symptoms. While these links were weaker for teens, there was never any indication that having a close friend worsened depression. At every age, those who had at least one close friend reported less depression than those who did not—though the evidence was statistically strongest for adults.
Notably, the effect of romantic relationships was inconsistent and, at times, reversed popular wisdom. For instance, 15-year-olds with a romantic partner were actually more depressed than their single peers. Only at age 38 did the study find those in romantic relationships were less depressed than singles, but at all other ages, the presence or absence of a partner did not meaningfully improve mood.
These findings were summed up in the study with a blunt conclusion: forming a close friendship offers a more reliable shield against depression than entering a romantic relationship. This knowledge comes as a counterpoint to commonly cited surveys comparing married to single people at a single point in time—a methodology that may conflate personality differences with marital status and overstate the positive impact of romance on well-being. As the lead researcher explains, “If marriage or romantic partnership really did make people happier or less depressed, then people who go from being single to married (or romantically partnered) should become happier and less depressed. Instead, the opposite often happens, especially over time.”
This insight resonates strongly with Thai culture, where social harmony and close-knit groups have traditionally played a crucial support role. However, rapid urbanization and changing family structures in cities such as Bangkok have left more people isolated, making robust friendships harder to maintain or undervalued compared to family or romantic bonds. In many Thai families, as in others, questions about one’s love life may take precedence over questions about friendships. Formal celebrations—weddings, engagement parties, anniversaries—revolve around romantic love, while lifelong friendships receive little societal recognition.
Yet the current research reminds us that friendships may hold the keys to resilience in a time of unprecedented mental health challenges. The idea that “single people are alone and unattached, and they don’t have anyone,” as critiqued in the study, is increasingly false. In fact, the academic literature shows that single people are often better at maintaining connections with friends and family compared to married individuals, who can become more insular.
For young people, especially in Thailand’s education system where peer groups and friendships shape emotional development, these findings point to the importance of nurturing, celebrating, and maintaining close friendships even as family or community pressure mounts to pursue romance. For adults, particularly as pressures from work and family intensify, committing time and energy to close friendships can be a far more effective and culturally appropriate strategy for buffering against depression than focusing solely on finding or maintaining a romantic partner.
Expert perspectives bolster these conclusions. The study’s lead author, a psychologist at Michigan State University, emphasizes that helping people foster and retain meaningful friendships should be at least as culturally and institutionally supported as encouraging marriage and family formation. This message has particular resonance in Thailand, where suicide rates and depression remain pressing public health concerns (Thai PBS World), and where support networks outside the immediate family are often underdeveloped.
Historically, Thailand’s community and temple-based traditions provided robust social networks in both urban and rural areas, but recent decades have seen those networks fray, especially for young professionals moving away from home for higher education or work. The study’s findings offer a science-based reminder to policymakers and educators that investing in community centers, peer support programs, and public campaigns celebrating friendship could have measurable mental health benefits.
Looking ahead, the implications for Thai society are profound. As Thailand’s population ages and birth rates decline, social isolation is predicted to worsen (Bangkok Post), making the promotion and preservation of friendship networks ever more important. If future Thai generations are to thrive, public discourse must move away from over-romanticizing coupledom and towards legitimizing and supporting all forms of meaningful human connection.
For readers in Thailand wondering how to put these findings into practice, the answer is refreshingly simple: prioritize close friendships. Whether young or older, urban or rural, single or partnered, efforts to initiate, sustain, and celebrate close friendships may pay the greatest dividends for overall happiness and resilience. Policymakers are urged to integrate friendship-building into educational curricula and public health campaigns, while community leaders and business owners can foster environments—be it shared meals, group activities, or peer-support schemes—that make friendship a visible social value.
For individuals, a practical starting point is to reach out: re-connect with an old school friend, set aside regular time to meet close friends, or create new routines with neighbors and colleagues. Mental health professionals are advised to actively ask about social support beyond family and romantic partners and to encourage clients at risk of depression to strengthen existing friendships or seek new ones.
Ultimately, this robust research serves as a clarion call to Thai society: don’t underestimate the life-changing power of friendship. As the cultural tide slowly shifts, and mental health becomes an ever-more salient public concern, it may be time to throw friendship its long-overdue celebration—not just as an afterthought, but as a cornerstone of well-being for all.
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