Study reveals children without friends may develop depression as adolescents

By Staff Writer

According to Canadian researchers, children who have no friends may risk developing depression as a teenager. United Press International reports that William Bukowski of Concordia University in Montreal found that having at least one friend can be beneficial for shy children. The study involved 130 girls and 101 boys in third through fifth grade.

"Being isolated and excluded from the peer group can increase levels of depressed feelings in children and those negative feelings can escalate throughout adolescence," Bukowski said in a statement, according to the news source. "Our study confirms the value of having friends, which are like a shield against negative social experiences."

He added that children can become social outcasts without friends.

The study, which was published in the journal Development and Psychopathology, found that friendship can promote resilience and protection for at-risk kids from internalizing problems such as depression and anxiety, the media outlet reports.

According to PBS, approximately 4 percent of adolescents develop serious depression each year. In addition, major depression affects approximately 15 million American adults - about 8 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older - in a given year.