Forming and Maintaining Intimate Friendships as a Twentysomething

Emerging adulthood is a life stage of great change, and often instability in relationships and attachment (Demir et al., 2015; Lane et al., 2017; Shulman & Connolly, 2013). Intimate friendships can be a moderating factor and assistance in gaining stability and increasing life satisfaction (Demir, 2021; Demir et al., 2015; Sanchez et al., 2020). This study used grounded theory methodology (Creswell & Poth, 2018) to develop a model of the process which Twentysomethings undergo while forming and maintaining intimate, or best, friendships. Through interviews with best friend pairs, this study found three main phases of the best friend process: forming friendship, deepening friendships, and maintaining friendships. Each of these phases also include sub-processes which push the overall process forward. The goal of this research is to assist clinicians working with Twentysomethings have a clear framework for establishing deep social connections, as well as to increase overall knowledge of friendship formation and maintenance after adolescence.