When these studies talk about the value of "close" relationships, they tend to point to properties like respect, trust, and emotional intimacy. Basically the re

When these studies talk about the value of "close" relationships, they tend to point to properties like respect, trust, and emotional intimacy. Basically the relationship characteristics that someone with a secure attachment style tends to develop. (Which raises an interesting question, are they really finding that attachment style is the biggest contributor to happiness?) It's not necessarily a function of how much time you spend with the counterparties, or exactly how many relationships you have. If you have strong, healthy relationships with your kid, ex, and a friend or two you're probably already in the "good" column.