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Good, bad mood contagious among friends, study suggests
A good mood or bad mood could be spread among friends, according to a recent study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal.
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According to the study, those whose friends suffered from bad moods were more likely to report bad moods themselves and were subsequently less likely to have improved when they were screened again six months later. (Shutterstock/File)
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good mood or bad mood could be spread among friends, according to a recent study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. The research, however, found that the effect is not enough to lead to depression.
As reported by health.com, the study measured social and mood changes over time, providing evidence that mood can spread over social networks in what scientists called "social contagion.”
As many as 2,194 students were included in the analysis, which used a mathematical model to look for connections among networks of friends. It looked at individual components of moods, such as appetite, tiredness and sleep, spreading through adolescent friendship networks in the United States.
Groups of junior high school and high school students took part in depression screenings and answered questions about their best friends, many of whom were also enrolled in the study.
"We find that having more friends with [bad] moods are associated with a higher probability of an adolescent worsening in mood and a lower probability of improving, and vice versa for friends in better mood, for the overwhelming majority of mood components," according to the study, which was published on Sept. 20.
Read also: Instagram photos can reveal signs of depression, study suggests
Those with friends who suffer from bad moods were more likely to report bad moods themselves and were subsequently less likely to have improved when they were screened again six months later. Conversely, people with more happy friends were more likely to have improved moods over time.
Robert Eyre, lead author and doctoral student at the University of Warwick's Center for Complexity Science, points to the mood spreading pattern as a "normal empathetic response that we're all familiar with, and something we recognize by common sense."
Eyre says the fact that negative feelings spread across networks does have important health implications, but it's not a reason to stay away from friends who are going through difficult times.
He further says friends do not put each other at risk of illness, as the study found that having friends who were clinically depressed did not increase participants' risk of becoming depressed themselves.
Eyre suggests supporting friends in such cases, saying that to boost their moods, friends could partake in activities that they both enjoy, as well as inviting other friends along to further spread good feelings.
“The good news from our work is that following the evidence-based advice for improving mood, like exercise, sleeping well, and managing stress, can help your friends too,” Eyre says. (liz/kes)
