青少年时期的友谊造就更健康的成年人

景一

Following the crowd may not always be in a persons best interest. But new research suggests that teens who go along with their friends may end up as healthier adults.

随大流并不总是对一个人最有利。但最新的研究表明，常和朋友在一起的青少年最终可能成为更健康的成年人。

Scientists have known that close friendships help boost health. Lonely people are more likely to get sick. Thats true for both teens and adults. And people who do their own thing， instead of giving in to peer pressure， may experience unpleasant emotions. Those findings inspired Joseph Allen and his team to look at teen behavior. Allen is a psychologist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. His group had suspected that experiences during teen years might influence adult health.

科学家们已经知道了亲密的友谊有助于增进健康。孤独的人更容易生病。青少年和成人都是这样。不屈从同辈压力独来独往做自己事情的人，可能会经历不愉快的情绪。这些发现启发了约瑟夫·艾伦和他的团队去观察青少年的行为。艾伦是位于夏洛茨维尔的弗吉尼亚大学的心理学家。他的研究小组怀疑青少年时期的经历可能会影响成年人时期的健康。

So they followed 171 teens， starting when the kids were just 13. They interviewed each one every year for five years. These became the “focal1” teens in the study. But they were not the only teens interviewed. The scientists also spoke to the focal teens closest friends. Those friends provided additional information about the quality of their friendships.

所以他们跟踪研究了171个青少年，从孩子们13岁开始。研究小组每年都要同他们面谈一次，为期五年。他们成了研究中的“焦点”青少年。但他们并不是唯一一批接受面谈的青少年。科学家们还与这群青少年的亲密朋友们进行了交谈。这些朋友提供了关于他们友谊的情况的更多信息。

Allen and his colleagues were most curious about each focal teens relationship with his or her closest friend. The teens were asked about both positive and negative aspects of that friendship. The scientists also asked the friends how likely the focal person was to follow the crowd， go along with the friend or insist on doing his or her own thing.

艾倫和他的同事们对每个焦点青少年与他或她最亲密的朋友的关系最感兴趣。她们询问了青少年们友谊的积极方面和消极方面。科学家们还询问了青少年们的朋友，“焦点”青少年们有多大可能喜欢随大流，和朋友一起，或者坚持自己做自己的事情。

The same 171 people were interviewed again as adults， at ages 25， 26 and 27. This time， the questions surveyed each persons overall health. When the researchers analyzed the data they found a strong correlation， or link， between a teens behavior and adult health. Teens who had close friends grew up to be the healthier adults.

这171人在他们成年后的25岁、26岁和27岁时再次接受了面谈。这次，通过面谈的问题调查了每个人的整体健康状况。当研究人员分析这些数据时，他们发现青少年时期的行为与成年人时期的健康状况之间存在着很强的相关性或联系。有亲密朋友的青少年成长为了更健康的成年人。

Whether teens held in their feelings or expressed them to a close confidant2 also influenced later health. Those who held back were more likely to be sick as adults. That supports the idea that teen relationships—having people to confide3 in—may play a big role later.

青少年们是压抑自己的情感还是向他们的密友倾吐内心也影响了他们以后的健康。那些压抑自己情感的人成年后更容易生病。这支持了这样一种观点：青少年关系，即有可以倾诉的人，对以后有巨大的影响。

Whats more， the study found that teens who went along what their friends wanted， rather than being independent， also were healthier in their twenties.

更重要的是，这项研究发现，愿意按照朋友的意愿行事而不是独来独往的青少年，在他们二十几岁时更健康。

The correlations held up even after the scientists accounted for other possible influences on health. Weight， family income were all examined. So were mental health issues， such as anxiety and depression. And in these people， such other factors did not explain adult health as well as teen friendships did.

即使在科学家用了其他可能影响健康的因素来解释，但这种相关性仍然存在。科学家们对体重、家庭收入，以及心理健康问题，如焦虑和抑郁等都进行了检查。诸如此类的其他因素并不能解释，这些人不但在青少年时期有深厚的友谊，在成年人时期也很健康的原因。

Going along with the crowd may have benefits， says Allen， but there are also drawbacks4. Teens who are more independent tend to do better in school and at work. And peer pressure may lead some kids to engage in risky behavior， such as smoking or drinking.

艾伦说，随大流可能有好处，但也有坏处。更独立的青少年在学校和工作中往往表现得更好。同辈压力可能导致一些孩子做出危险的行为，比如吸烟或者饮酒。

Allen notes， “Handling peer pressure is not as simple as just saying ‘no. Finding the right balance is the key.” And， he adds， “Parents need to be understanding about the pressures teens face.”

艾倫指出，“处理同辈压力并不像只说‘不那么简单。找到平衡是关键。”他补充说，“父母需要了解青少年面临的压力。”