It's no secret that siblings get on our nerves sometimes, but if you've got a sister you should be pretty grateful for her – even if she does annoy you daily.
That's because new research has found that people who grew up with a sister are more likely to be happy than those who didn't.
Researchers from De Montfort University in Leicester and Ulster University in Northern Ireland surveyed over 570 people aged between 17 and 25 to get these results, asking them psychological questions on various topics including mental health.
The findings showed that those with sisters were encouraged by their siblings to openly communicate about their feelings more, which gave them a more optimistic outlook on life.
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Professor Tony Cassidy, who carried out the study, said: "Sisters appear to encourage more open communication and cohesion in families.
"However, brothers seem to have the alternative effect.
"Emotional expression is fundamental to good psychological health and having sisters promotes this in families.
"It could be that boys have a natural tendency not to talk about things.
"With boys together it is about a conspiracy of silence not to talk. Girls tend to break that down."
He added that the findings could be especially useful for families where the parents had split up.
"I think these findings could be used by people offering support to families and children during distressing times. We may have to think carefully about the way we deal with families with lots of boys."
Similar results were found back in 2010 when Brigham Young University carried out research into having a sibling.
This study involved 395 families which had more than one child and they concluded that having a sister makes you a kinder person.
However their research also highlighted that brothers bring benefits too as long as the relationship is a loving one – so basically, having a sibling is a good thing, even if they steal your stuff.
Speaking at the time, Researcher Laura Padilla-Walker told ABC News:"Sibling affection from either gender was related to less delinquency and more pro-social behaviours like greater kindness and generosity, volunteering and helping others."
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