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Objectives Negative social relationships are associated with poor health, chronic illness, and mortality. Yet, we know little about the dynamics of negative aspects of relationships within individual's closest relationships over time, how those experiences vary by age, and the implications of those relationships for well-being. Method A total of 592 participants (ages 25–97; M = 57.5; 63.3% women) from the Social Relations Study completed monthly web surveys for up to 12 months. Each month they reported negative relationship quality with their three closest network members and multiple dimensions of well-being (positive affect, negative affect, self-rated health, and sleep quality). Results Multilevel models revealed older individuals reported less negativity in their relationships than younger people, but fewer age differences in the closest tie. Greater negative relationship quality predicted poor well-being (i.e., greater negative affect, sleep problems). Links between negative relations and well-being were less strong among older individuals; especially in the closest ties. Discussion Results were partially consistent with the strength and vulnerability integration (SAVI) model, which proposes fewer age-related improvements in emotion regulation when individuals are unable to avoid tensions. Despite feeling just as negative as younger individuals, older individuals may be more resilient to tensions in their closest relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friends are a vital source of social relations throughout the lifespan and across developmental stages. Our knowledge of how friendships develop over time, especially from childhood through adulthood, is limited. Furthermore, it is now recognized that this specific type of relationship influences health across the life course in unique ways. Using the Convoy Model of Social Relations as a guiding framework, this study charts the multiple and unique trajectories of friendship across adulthood and tests whether these trajectories influence health differentially by age. The sample for the study consisted of 553 adults from the longitudinal Social Relations Study. Respondents ranged in age from 13 to 77 at Wave 1 (1992), and included only those who reported a best friend in each wave, that is, Wave 2 (2005) and Wave 3 (2015). Approximately 65% of the respondents were women, and 24.5% were people of color. Latent growth curve analysis identified three trajectories of the presence of friends in one's network over time, two trajectories of positive friend quality, and three for negative quality. The most consistent findings are associated with positive friend relations over time. Gender was associated with friendship quality where women reported more positive friend relations over time, and increasing positive friend relations predicted better health 23 years later. These findings demonstrate that consistent and increasing positive friendships yield health benefits over time, whereas the presence of friends and negative quality does not have an effect. Overall, findings advance understanding of the long-term effects of social relations across the lifespan and life course. Public Significance Statement: This study suggests that there are distinct trajectories of friendship beginning in young and mid-adulthood indicated by proportion of friends in one's network and relationship quality. Identifying how personal and situational characteristics influence multiple dimensions of the friend relationship over time provides key information to guide social support-based interventions aimed at enriching developmental outcomes and maximizing well-being across the lifespan and life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the health and longevity benefits of community. The authors define social isolation, review mechanisms explaining the links between social isolation and health, consider how interventions may play a role in building community, and identify potential challenges to the ideal of community. The article also details characteristics of living in community that may promote health, such as remaining engaged, socially connected, having a place, and the availability of outdoor spaces and healthy food options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of volunteering may differentially influence multiple dimensions of health among older adults. Further, increasing evidence indicates social networks represent critical bridging and bonding contexts for the volunteering-health link. This study examines two research questions: 1) does volunteering level (low, moderate, high) influence physical and mental health in the same ways? And 2) does social network change moderate this link? Data come from Waves 1 and 2 of the longitudinal Social Relations Study (n = 556) collected in 1992 and 2005 and the sub-sample of adults age 50 and older at Wave 2. Regression analyses predicting self-rated health and depressive symptoms were conducted to examine main effects of volunteering and moderating effects of social network change. Volunteering at a moderate level (101–300 hours per year) was associated with fewer depressive symptoms compared to those not volunteering. Social network change moderated the association between volunteering and self-rated health. Among those reporting a decrease in the proportion of non-family in their network (decrease in bridging), a moderate level of volunteering was associated with better self-rated health. While moderate levels of volunteering are associated with better mental health, the link to physical health is only present in the context of decreasing network bridging. Identifying specific circumstances under which volunteering is beneficial is critical for developing interventions to promote health for all, including those in mid and later life. • Moderate volunteering among older adults is associated with better mental health. • High levels of volunteering are not associated with either physical or mental health. • Volunteering benefits physical health only in the context of social network change. • As networks change, volunteering can help those who lose diversity in their ties. • Increasing presence of family in networks may help maximize volunteering benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]