Friendships and Emotional Well-being Among Black and White American Adults

A plethora of literature suggests that social relationships are associated with health and well-being outcomes. Much of this research has relied on global or retrospective reports and focused on family relationships. However, while experiences involving friends take place in everyday life, little is known about the implications of interaction with friends on momentary well-being. Additionally, the association between interactions with friends and well-being may vary across populations with distinct characteristics. Therefore, the current study seeks to investigate the unique effects of friends on momentary well-being in a racially/ethnically diverse adult sample of different ages. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) technique, this study investigated (a) whether White adults would report more frequent interactions with friends throughout the day compared to Black adults, (b) whether interactions with friends affect emotional well-being differently for these distinct racial groups, and (c) whether interactions with friends affect emotional well-being differently for those who endorse more friends compared to those who endorse fewer friends as their close social ties. Multilevel linear models revealed that Black adults interacted with friends as much as White adults throughout the day. Furthermore, the within-person associations between friend interaction and elevated positive mood were only observed in White adults. This study contributes to a better understanding of how daily interactions with friends may serve as the basis for prevention or buffering mental health conditions for different racial groups.