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Adult Friendship and Suicidality: A Scoping Review.
Susan Stevens1,2, Brian Shiner1,2,3, Lynn Brunner4
1White River Junction VA Medical Center, Vermont.
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
|December 22, 2025
Summary
Friendship may protect adults against suicidality, but research is limited. This scoping review found most studies indicate a protective association, though friendship measurement varies significantly.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Friendship is vital for adult physical and mental health.
- The specific relationship between adult friendship and suicidality remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review on the association between adult friendship and suicidality.
- To identify and summarize existing research on this topic.
Main Methods:
- Searched Medline, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases up to April 9, 2024.
- Used keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms for adult friendship and suicidality.
- Synthesized findings from identified studies.
Main Results:
- Identified 43 unique studies examining adult friendship and suicidality.
- Most studies (60.5%) reported a protective effect of friendship against suicidality.
- Significant heterogeneity in study designs, goals, measurements, and populations was observed, with inconsistent friendship measurement.
Conclusions:
- Friendship appears to be a protective factor against suicidality in adults.
- Inconsistent conceptualization and measurement of friendship hinder definitive conclusions.
- Further research is needed to clarify the complex relationship between friendship and suicide.
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