Why Our Mental Health Takes a Village

Do you have a best friend or partner—someone you can talk to about anything?

That might not be enough.

Research into "emotionships"—the relationships we have with others that help us manage our moods—shows that we function best mentally when we create a village, or portfolio, of supportive people who have varied emotional skills. One person can't help us with every mood, and not everyone is adept at handling every emotion.