How Supporting a Depressed Friend Can Help Them Heal

If you have a friend who’s dealing with depression, you may have found yourself wanting to distance from them or limiting contact. It's not uncommon for people to respond this way, as it can be challenging to communicate with someone who is in a dark place, and we also tend to fear that another person's mood may bring us down.

A study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society disproves the idea that depressed people can harm your mental health. On the contrary, it strongly encourages maintaining close contact with depressed friends, as doing so can actually help them recover.

The study analyzed data from over 2,000 high school students who completed a questionnaire designed to assess depression levels, and the assessments and friend surveys were repeated over a year. The results showed that students who were classified as "depressed" at the start of the study did not cause their friends to become depressed. However, depressed students who had enough non-depressed friends were twice as likely to recover from depression compared to those who didn’t have many healthy friendships.

Positive relationships with mentally healthy individuals can help those struggling with depression to recover.

While spending time with someone who is depressed may temporarily affect your mood, it won’t cause any lasting harm to your mental health- but it can make a real difference in the life of someone who’s suffering.