Psychology says voluntarily single people can have rich social lives: A 2025 study found securely attached singles reported the strongest support networks

A 2025 study published in Wiley suggests that relationship status alone reveals very little about a person’s social life. Researchers found that securely attached singles reported more close relationships and greater non-romantic social support than singles with anxious, avoidant, or fearful attachment styles.

Rather than viewing all single adults as one group, the study showed that attachment security plays a major role in determining how connected people feel outside romantic relationships.

Securely attached singles stood apart from other groupsThe researchers identified several attachment profiles among single adults and compared their social relationships. The securely attached group consistently reported the highest levels of close friendships and access to dependable social support, suggesting that being without a romantic partner does not necessarily reduce emotional connection.

Instead, people who feel comfortable with both intimacy and independence appear more likely to build strong relationships with friends, relatives, and other important people in their lives.Another review of attachment across adulthood, conducted by Gustison and Phelps, found that securely attached individuals generally experience stronger social support and healthier interpersonal relationships because they are more comfortable both seeking and offering support when needed.

The 2025 findings fit that broader pattern by showing that these qualities remain important even when someone is not in a romantic relationship.

Close relationships extend beyond romantic partnersRelationship research has long shown that friendships and family relationships can provide many of the same functions as romantic relationships, including emotional support, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. A longitudinal study, published in Sage Journals, found that single adults who invested more in their friendships later reported higher friendship quality and better self-esteem, highlighting the psychological importance of non-romantic relationships.The 2025 study does not suggest that every single person has a strong support network, nor does it argue that singlehood is always easier than partnership. Instead, it shows that social connection depends more on the quality of a person’s relationships than on whether they have a romantic partner. Securely attached singles were able to build meaningful support systems outside romance, demonstrating that close relationships can take many different forms.In the 2025 study, securely attached singles reported more close relationships and stronger social support than any other single attachment group, while related studies show that attachment security and investment in friendships both contribute to meaningful social connections. The findings suggest that being voluntarily single does not necessarily mean lacking companionship. For many people, strong friendships and family relationships provide the connection and support that others assume can only come from a romantic partner.