"Friendships are not just about those you sit with on the school bus or play on the soccer team as a child. They are a key element of the human experience," experts say.
But creating and maintaining deep and meaningful friendships as adults is difficult, especially for men, according to studies . Fewer than half of men report being satisfied with their friendships, and only about 1 in 5 have received emotional support from a friend in the past week, compared with 4 in 10 women, according to a 2021 survey by the Center for of the survey "American Life".
The weakening of male friendships begins around middle and late adolescence and becomes more pronounced in adulthood, said Judy Yi-Chung Chu, who teaches a course on the psychological development of boys at Stanford University. And those who maintain friendships with other men often report having lower levels of emotional involvement than women.
"Boys aren't born emotionally detached; they become emotionally detached," said Dr. Niobe Way, a researcher and professor of applied psychology at New York University.
"Studies have shown that close friendships protect our mental and physical health," she added. And men who prioritize these social relationships are fighting against one of the most damaging things to human health - loneliness," said Dr. Frank Sileo, a psychologist from Ridgewood, New Jersey.
"What men risk losing is the sense of not being alone in the world or not being alone in their life experience," Sileo said. Studies have shown that "disclosing emotional distress improves men's emotional well-being, increases feelings of being understood, and results in less loneliness," he added.
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