Ron Nevelow (second from right) sings with a men's choir. Photo courtesy of the Dallas Morning News.

Males who form good friendships with other men often enjoy a better emotional state that can lead to improved health, according to this article in the Dallas Morning News.

The article tells what happened to Ron Nevelow, who suffered from stress-related gastrointestinal distress when he worked as an accountant. Nevelow switched careers to something he enjoyed — social work and psychotherapy — and joined a men’s singing group at his synagogue.

His singing group rallied around Nevelow when his mother died a year ago. All the choir members sat shiva with him. Shiva is a Jewish mourning custom.

Geoffrey Grief, a social worker and National Association of Social Workers member who is an expert on men’s relationships, was also quoted in the story. Men often feel isolated when life’s problems hit because they are not socialized to find support through friends, he said.

To learn more about how social workers help consumers improve their mental and physical health visit the NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Web pages by clicking here.