From casual buddies to close friends and even colleagues – whatever the exact nature, social interactions are beneficial to mental health, according to a new study by US researchers.

Research from Stanford University reaffirms what has long been known: that meaningful social interactions are an important vector of wellbeing.

To come to this conclusion, the study authors followed three cohorts of students over three years, analysing data on their social interactions and wellbeing. They also examined four different contextual factors, including the partners with whom the students interacted and the communication channels used.

Published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, their research suggests that interacting with peers, and thus forming social connections, significantly improves wellbeing.

“Our findings show that engaging in meaningful social interactions has net positive outcomes for affective wellbeing, stress and loneliness,” said lead author Mahnaz Roshanaei.

“Spending more time in substantive and deep conversations with anyone, with either strong or weak ties, results in benefits for the average person’s wellbeing outcomes.”

The scientists note, however, that the context in which these social interactions take place is of particular importance. They observed better wellbeing outcomes when interactions took place in person, compared with virtual exchanges such as instant messaging or texting.

And if there’s a time to interact with others, it’s best to do so during periods of rest rather than during activities like studying or dining, the experts added.

“In the future, the results of this study can be used in designing personalised intervention-oriented strategies for encouraging healthy social lives, such as personalised recommendations for maintaining social support and connections,” the researchers concluded.