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Demographic Variation in Social Support and Intimate Friend Across 22 Countries: A Cross-National Analysis.
James L Ritchie-Dunham1,2, George Yancey3,4, Shunsuke Managi5
1Rosenthal Department of Management, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology
|June 2, 2025
Summary
Globally, most individuals report having an intimate friend and social support, but these close social connections vary significantly across countries and demographics. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing culturally relevant interventions.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Strong associations exist between social support, intimate friendships, and improved health/well-being.
- Most existing research on social connections is US-based, limiting cross-national understanding.
- Variations in social support and friendships across countries and demographics are under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a cross-national exploration of social support and intimate friendships.
- To examine variations in social connections across key demographic groups and countries.
- To provide a foundation for culturally appropriate interventions promoting social connections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large international dataset of 202,898 individuals from 22 countries.
- Examined relationships between social support, intimate friendships, and demographics (age, gender, marital status, employment, education, immigration).
- Presented descriptive statistics on the distribution of social support and intimate friendships globally and by demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Globally, 84% of individuals report having an intimate friend, with a social support score of 7.4/10.
- Significant variations in social support and intimate friendships were observed across countries.
- Employment status, educational level, and religious service attendance showed notable differences in social connections.
Conclusions:
- Close social connections, including intimate friendships and social support, are widespread but exhibit considerable cross-national and demographic variation.
- Findings highlight the need to consider sociocultural contexts when examining social connections.
- This study provides essential descriptive data for future research on influences shaping social connections.
Keywords:
Cross-culturalDemographicsFlourishingGlobalGlobal Flourishing StudyIntimate friendSocial supportWellbeingMore Related Videos
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