Married people are happier (and healthier) than singles
To those of us in an unhappy marriage, or to those of us happily confirmed as bachelors and bachelorettes, this may cause an eye roll or two.
But research from the University of Chicago has shown that married people tend to live longer (although don't we all seem to have that never married aunt or uncle who seems to live on...and on...?), and suffer less from many health issues - from heart disease, many cancers, back pain and emotional or mental illnesses, to name a few.
The study involved several thousand subjects, some who were never married, some who were in long term first marriages and others who married, became divorced or widowed, and then remarried.
In fact, the study reports that people who lose a spouse through death or divorce had 20% more cancers and heart disease and had 23% more problems with walking and moving. Interestingly, both women and men suffered in the same numbers.
Women and men also suffered in the same numbers from emotional and mental health problems.
The healthiest of all participants in the study were people in long term, first marriages. Although those who remarry were of better health than those never married or never remarried, researchers saw evidence of "scarring" that remained from the trauma of a spousal death or divorce.
And from a practical standpoint - the act of living with someone and having them watch out for signs of sickness is an obvious way to keep an eye on one's health. When a partner points out that you seem constantly in pain or seem unwell, and 'nags' someone to see a doctor, a person is more inclined to get help.
So although many of us will gripe and complain about our spouses (some of it genuine, some of it an excuse to let off some steam when we realize that nothing, not even marriage, is always movie-like perfect) this study ascertains that marriage is good for our overall health and that married people can generally look forward to a healthier and happier life.
This study can be read in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior in September.
Tell Us
Do you believe that married people seem happier or healthier than those who are not? What is your experience?
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I can believe this. I know just being in a relationship helps with stress, money issues, love issues, self esteem, etc. Do you think is may be comfort?
What if you are not officially married but living with someone? Surely it's the same??
Living together is not the same in these studies. There are legal benefits to marriage (financial, tax, legal, social, healthcare etc) that cohabiting couples don't have (hence may have more stress) and by law, they are considered room-mates or people who share a space.
This isn't to say that the couples themselves feel this way!
But the advantages of marriage (as listed above) were taken into account in the studies as entities that lessen stress - which may in turn lessen health issues.
The studies done on cohabitation versus couples who do not live together before marriage shows that they are more likely to divorce. Some studies have shown that are up to 80% more likely to be divorced (this is from the research of Yale University sociologist Neil Bennett) and studies from the University of Chicago, as well as the University of Western Ontario (Canada) have shown similar higher rates, compared to those who cohabit after marriage.
In the interest of fairness, it must be added that while the majority of studies show these risks, a German study found that couples there who cohabit have a slightly decreased risk of divorce!
Living together is not the same as being married. It may feel like similar sometimes but it's comparing apples and oranges. It is sometimes referred to as "common law marriage" but that has no real legal definition or standing. But couples who live together can have a co-habitation contract which gives limited legal standing.
The reasoning above is why the study (in my original article) focused on legal marriage - they could then take into account the social, legal and financial benefits of marriage that cohabitation does not offer.
But of course, there are many people who are very happy and comfortable in a long term unmarried partnership! There are no hard and unbreakable rules in this area.