Death of a close friend can significantly affect a person's physical, mental and social wellbeing up to at least four years, finds a new study.

The research involved 26,515 Australians, of whom 9,586 had experienced the death of at least one close friend.
"The study found people grieving a close friend suffered a significant decline in physical health, mental health, emotional stability, and social life," said study lead author Wai-Man (Raymond) Liu, Associate Professor at Australian National University (ANU).
"We found there are serious declines in the health and wellbeing of people who had experienced the death of a close friend any time in the last four years," Liu added.
"We all know that when someone loses a partner, parent or child, that person is likely to suffer through a significant grieving period. Yet the death of a close friend, which most of us will experience, is not afforded the same level of seriousness by employers, doctors, and the community," Liu added.
Source-IANS