ABSTRACT
The most important thing about relationships is that they are good for us. Berkman and Syme (1979) showed the benefits of social support for health and mortality, and this was confirmed by many later studies, as the meta-analysis by Schwarzer and Leppin (1989; Chapter 5) shows. Brown and Harris (1978) found intimate relationships to have a powerful buffering effect on depression, and the mental health benefits of close relationships have also been widely replicated. Many studies have shown that friendships and other relationships are important for happiness (Argyle, 1987). But what are the psychological processes that are responsible for these effects?
