Relationships
Personal relationships | Community cohesion
About 2 mins
Why relationships with our family, friends and community matter for health
When we have good relationships with our family, friends and local communities, we tend to be happier, have better physical and mental health, and live longer. Without these relationships and social connections – or if we have negative ones – we are more likely to experience loneliness and depression.
How do personal relationships and loneliness affect health?
Positive social relationships can support good health in a variety of ways. They can reduce our physiological response to stress. They can help us to gain and sustain good-quality jobs, and improve job satisfaction. They can also influence healthy behaviours, such as eating healthier food or being more active.
However, a lack of positive personal relationships can have negative effects on our health. Loneliness is associated with a range of mental health disorders, such as depression and personality disorders, as well as worse physical health, including cardiovascular disease and early death. Strained relationships can cause stress and have a negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Relationship stress might also lead to us developing unhealthy habits as a coping mechanism.
How do community cohesion and sense of belonging affect health?
Beyond our immediate relationships with friends and family, our connections within our communities are important for our health and wellbeing. Many factors can determine the quality of community cohesion in our neighbourhoods, and our sense of belonging, including:
- how good our social relationships area
- whether people are working and taking action together
- whether people have long-term plans to remain in the neighbourhood
- how safe we feel in our neighbourhood.
A strong community or sense of neighbourhood belonging can help to extend our support network. Research indicates that there is a strong positive relationship between having a sense of community belonging and our health, particularly mental health. Furthermore, good community relationships can – to some extent – reduce the negative effects of neighbourhood deprivation on people’s mental health.
Taking part in social activities within our community is one way we can build a sense of belonging and connection. People who do this are more likely to have a better quality of life. This relationship goes both ways, as people with better underlying health are more likely to take part in social activities within their community.
