Imaginary friends do not necessarily signal loneliness in children

Children who invent imaginary companions are not necessarily lonely or short of real friends, psychologists say. Such characters can be part of ordinary play, storytelling and an enjoyment of social interaction.

Researchers Naomi Aguiar and Marjorie Taylor have studied the phenomenon. Aguiar says children with imaginary friends can have reciprocal real-life friendships like other children.

Some studies associate imaginary companions with storytelling, creativity and vivid mental imagery. An association does not prove that the imaginary friend caused those abilities. Experiences vary, and the presence of an imaginary companion alone does not establish a developmental problem. This general explanation is not a substitute for an assessment of a child's wider wellbeing.