5 scientifically proven reasons sisters make you a happier, amazing person.

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There are so many benefits to growing up with sisters. They’re always there for you, are natural confidantes and you can show them the worst of you and they can’t disown you.

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There’s also a slew of research that states growing up with sisters makes you a happier, amazing person. So show your sis a bit of appreciation next time you see her, huh? (Post continues after video.)

1. They do wonders for your mental health.

All those years of squabbling have finally paid off. One report that followed 571 families found that having a sister means you will generally score higher on the standard range of tests for good mental health.

The psychologists discovered people who grew up with at least one sister were less anxious and less likely to have depression. It seems this is all a consequence of the fact sisters help foster communication and generally make their siblings more comfortable with their emotions.

2. They make you happy.

A study from Brigham Young University shows that positive sibling relationships — particularly sisters — have lasting positive effects on your happiness levels. The close bonds encourage traits like kindness and generosity, which continue into adult life.

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Sorry brothers - we love you - but apparently having a sister is more beneficial than having a brother because sisters prevent their siblings "from feeling lonely, unloved, guilty, self-conscious and fearful".

It doesn't matter whether the sister was younger or older, or how far apart the siblings were age-wise, the outcome was still the same. (Post continues after gallery.)

3. They make you smart.

Yep, sisters make you more intelligent, according to research from Concordia University. They found that sisters teach us in a similar way that teachers do, and we learn more growing up through the initiation of the activities that they involve us in.

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Turns out all of those afternoons and weekends playing "schools" when you were little totally paid off.

4. They make you strong.

2009 research carried out by the Psychologists at the University of Ulster and De Monfort University found that having a sister means you're less susceptible to suffering from stressful situations later in your life.

Co-author of the study, University of Ulster researcher Tony Cassidy, said sisters promote "emotional expression":

"Our explanation for it is that the presence of girls opens up channels of communication and it becomes a much more expressive situation that's positive."

5. She makes you a better listener.

Apparently men who grow up with sisters are much better listeners and are also better at talking to women. In his research about sibling relationships, The Sibling Effect, Jeffrey Kluger discovered that when you pair people up in five to 15 minute conversations, males who grew up with sisters tended to do better than men who grew up with brothers, or as only children.

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So, to all the sisters out there - thank you.