The most religious Americans are also the most likely to want to discuss major problems in their lives with their families, not their friends
Except for a brief period between becoming a teenager and settling down to start your own family, life for most people revolves around the rhythm of family. Unfortunately family can at times be as much a source of stress as an island of calm in an otherwise stormy world.
Research from YouGov shows that most Americans (53%) would turn to their family, not their friends (29%) if they had a major problem in their life. Younger Americans are more likely to talk to their friends (34% of under-30s vs. 22% of over-65s) but the clearest divide is between the most and least religious Americans. Only 22% of people who say that religion is very important in their life also say that they would turn to their friends, compared to 41% of Americans for whom religion is 'not at all' important. In fact, only 39% of the least religious Americans would turn to their family.
The fact that most Americans would turn to their family first doesn't mean most Americans are lacking in close friendships, however. The vast majority of the country (73%) say that they have a best friend, with older Americans being more likely than younger Americans to have a best friend. 88% of over-65s say that they do, compared to 68% of under-30s.
