Several recent studies show people with close friends handle stress and trauma better, and they live longer.
The key to the power of friendship is quality, not quantity.
"It's much better to have 2-3 really close friends than a whole lot of casual acquaintances. ..because the deeper the friendship, the more benefit it has for us," says clinical psychologist Mark Crawford.
Psychologists say like marriage, friendship takes effort - being accessible through life's ups and downs, being tolerant, and forgiving the minor issues.
