How befriending supports wellbeing

1st November 2026

With approximately 871,000 deaths per year worldwide caused by loneliness alone, building meaningful social connections is more important than ever. Let’s explore how befriending and social connection can support wellbeing.

Befriending brings people together for companionship in a supportive setting. In befriending, everyone is valued as an individual. Befrienders are not there as health professionals, personal carers or social workers, they are there to spend time with the service user, listen to them and get to know them as people.

Befriending coordinators put in great effort to match service users with volunteers they will get on well with. This makes befriending a route to meaningful relationships that are rooted in trust, kindness and human connection.

It’s a simple concept, but the impacts are wide-reaching.

Protecting mental wellbeing

Many of us have experienced loneliness and the negative effects it can have on our mental health. Meaningful social connection can help reduce unwanted feelings of loneliness and improve mental wellbeing. A World Health Organization Commission on Social Connection report found that social support can protect against depression and suicidality, and better social networks (in terms of quality and quantity) have been associated with better mental health and wellbeing. Social support may also play a role in reducing use of mental health services after a negative life event, by buffering the effects of stress.

Another study found that social connectedness and health were consistently associated with experiencing a sense of meaning in life, which was in turn associated with lower odds of depression, anxiety, self-harm and low wellbeing. 

And the wellbeing impacts aren’t limited to service users. The World Happiness Report 2025 identified that people who engage in “prosocial behaviour” – acts of kindness such as volunteering and helping strangers – are healthier, happier, and experience a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. Kind acts also strengthen and expand support networks, increasing access to support, information and coping strategies. It boosts self esteem and creates more trust in others on a community level.

Boosting physical health

While the mental health benefits of social connection may seem obvious, you may be surprised to learn that it has a huge impact on physical health too. Did you know that having stronger social connections increases the likelihood of survival over a 7.5 year average by 50%?

A befriender has time to get to know a personal more deeply, allowing them to spot potential wellbeing issues, such as changes in health, mobility or mood, cognitive decline or financial problems, early. As a result, person-centred community services such as befriending help older people stay healthier and more independent for longer.

Research from the University of Cambridge suggests that social relationships may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system and reduce our risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Strong social connection improves brain health too, and has been associated with a 19% reduction in risk of dementia.

Social connection should be a public health priority

The health impacts of loneliness as so well-evidenced that a study by Brigham Young University recommends that social connection should be treated as a medically relevant health factor, a “vital sign” that health professionals should look out for.

Despite research showing that lonely people incur an extra £850 in annual healthcare costs to the NHS due to physical and mental health issues, the importance of reducing loneliness and creating social connection is often overlooked in public health priorities. That’s why we joined with over 120 organisations in the Scottish Forum on Social Isolation and Loneliness to put forward A Manifesto for Social Connection – read the full manifesto here.

Find out more

If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with the latest research on loneliness and social connection, subscribe to our mailing list to receive a Research Roundup three times a year. Explore previous issues in our Resources.

The impact of befriending and social connection isn’t just shown through statistics though. Case studies can be a powerful way to demonstrate the positive benefits of befriending matches and let your volunteers and service users share the human stories behind the numbers.

Explore our bank of case studies to hear stories from our members, and search the Befriending Networks directory to connect with befriending services near you.